Memory Loss After Blow To Head Can Be Serious

September 20, 2017

Short-term memory loss, difficulty concentrating,  mood swings, and trouble focusing frequently follow a blow to the head, and can be serious if left untreated.

In our 36 years of handling head and brain injury cases, we have seen many clients who have had a blow to the head from a car accident, a fall, or some other cause. They notice peculiar symptoms that they never had before. Mostly, they notice that their memory is suffering. Usually it is short-term memory (that is, they can remember significant things that happened in their childhood, or several years ago, but they cannot remember what they had for lunch three hours ago, or what they were supposed to do this afternoon.) They cannot keep their mind on what they are doing, or cannot focus. They are having trouble at work. They read a page, and when they get to the end of the page, they cannot remember what they just read. They are perfectly happy, and then suddenly very sad.

These are common symptoms of a “closed head injury” or “mild TBI”. TBI stands for traumatic brain injury.

Most often, a CT scan or MRI of their head is normal (negative). This is because the damage which occurs takes place at a microscopic level smaller than a CT scan or MRI can measure.

The injury usually happens because of this. Your skull is obviously as hard as a rock, but your brain inside your skull is approximately the consistency of Jell-O or yogurt. So, when your head strikes something (the steering wheel, a sidewalk, etc.) the skull immediately stops moving, but the brain inside it does not. Or when your head is struck by something, the same thing happens. Cellular damage to the connections in the brain (axons) can occur. The symptoms described above result from this.

Fortunately, closed head injuries and mild TBI can be treated. But it is important that they be looked at as soon as possible. Without treatment, these symptoms can become permanent and change a person for their entire life.

Having handled many, many head injury cases, we work with a number of highly specialized medical doctors, neuropsychologists, and therapists to help our clients recover from these injuries.

If you or someone you love has suffered from a closed head injury or mild TBI due to the reckless actions of another, please contact our offices right away to discuss your legal options with an experienced personal injury attorney at our firm.