The fact is that brain injury victims of auto accidents often go undetected in the emergency room, creating obstacles for insurance companies to obtain adequate compensation. I recently received a call from a woman who was struck from behind at high speed in a car accident and pushed the car in front of her. In other words, she packs a double punch. The mechanics of the accident are obvious, her head moved back and forth violently 2 times.
In the emergency room, he had a headache, but denied being unconscious, although he did not remember part of the accident. Of course, a CT scan of his brain showed no acute intracranial problems. So, she was released with possible mild brain injury. For some reason, she decided to go to a chiropractor for her headaches and went back to work. The job turned out to be a disaster for her. She was completely disorganized. She had extreme difficulties with memory and concentration and kept having headaches. Her coworkers noticed all of her problems. Her GP referred her to a specialist.
This case is fresh in my mind, but it demonstrates several issues the client is now facing with his insurance company. One problem, now you don’t have a job but the insurance company doesn’t want to pay your lost wages. The insurance company cannot understand why she is now off work. After all, she went back to work after the accident. The reason is because she didn’t understand that she suffered a traumatic brain injury.
It is a question of credibility for the insurance company. Due to the doubt they now have about her injury, they will send her for an independent medical examination. In other words, the insurance company personally chose an expert doctor. However, in this case, even your expert will admit that the client is suffering from the effects of a traumatic brain injury.
The challenge in these cases is misconceptions about the consequences after a traumatic brain injury. The person has a normal brain scan and looks normal, therefore it must be normal. Beneath the surface, however, his life is falling apart.
I read psychological evaluations where the client tells the therapist that they think they are going crazy. They have no energy. They are depressed all the time. They cannot concentrate as they did in the past. Headaches interfere with your concentration. All of this can contribute to emotional and personality changes.
The insurance company will look for ways to counteract the client’s symptoms. They will try to find any problems in your history. Did the client have a history of headaches or emotional and psychological problems prior to the accident? For example, a recent divorce could be a target.
The best way to counter the onslaught of insurance skeptics is a neuropsychological evaluation. Neuropsychological evaluation can provide evidence of brain damage that is not available through conventional neurological examinations. The evaluation is carried out with individual objective tests and batteries of standardized tests. The neuropsychological examination is designed to effectively detect or rule out malingering.
The bottom line is that the neuropsychological evaluation is the first line of attack against the renegade insurance company that wants to deny or lower the value of a claim after you sustain a serious brain injury in a car accident.
