After a drunk driver hit you, you know you sustained various injuries. Should you add traumatic brain injury to the list?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains how physicians diagnose brain injuries. Learn which injuries to seek compensation for from the at-fault driver.
Medical examination
One of the primary ways medical professionals diagnose TBIs is through a medical examination. During the neurological exam, medical professionals gauge your motor skills, thinking, coordination, sensory function, reflexes and eye movement.
Imaging tests
Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans cannot pinpoint brain injuries. What they can do is rule out other possibilities, helping your medical team narrow their options. Imaging tests may identity brain injury bleeds that require immediate medical attention.
Brain injury symptoms
Other than a medical exam and imaging tests, doctors may diagnose TBIs by a patient’s symptoms. Common indications of a mild brain injury include dizziness, headache, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and behavioral shifts. Symptoms of a moderate-to-severe brain injury include slurred speech, ongoing nausea or vomiting, weakness in the limbs and trouble learning.
FDA-approved medical devices
If a doctor uses a medical device to diagnose your injury, the FDA should approve it. Devices not cleared of approved by the administration may not diagnose an injury accurately. Without a proper diagnosis, you may not receive the treatment you need to recover. Your medical team may clear you to return to normal activities even though you have a brain injury if they misdiagnose you.
Do not let irresponsible drivers get away with hitting you. Get the facts on your injury to build your claim and protect your rights.