The fact is that car accident victims who are injured in the brain are often not found in the emergency room thus creating obstacles for the insurance company to obtain adequate compensation. I recently received a call from a woman who was rear-ended, speeding in a car accident and plowed into the car in front of her. In other words, double impact. The mechanics of the accident are obvious, her head went back and forth violently 2 times.
In the emergency room she had a headache, but she denied being unconscious even though she didn’t remember much of the incident. Of course, a CAT scan of the brain showed no acute intracranial problem. Therefore, she was released with a possible minor brain injury. For some reason, she decided to go to a chiropractor for the headache and returned to work. The job turned out to be a disaster for her. It was completely disorganized. She had extreme difficulties with her memory and concentration and continued to have headaches. Her friend noticed all her problems. Her family doctor referred her to a specialist.
This case is fresh in my mind, but it illustrates several problems that the client is now facing with her insurance company. One problem, she is now out of work but the insurance company doesn’t want to pay her lost wages. The insurance company cannot understand why she is now out of work. After all, she went back to work after the accident. The reason is because she did not understand that she suffered a traumatic brain injury.
It is a matter of credibility for the insurance company. Due to the doubt they now have about her wound, it is being sent for an Independent Medical Examination. In other words, the insurance company hand picked an expert doctor. However, in this case, even their expert will admit that the client is suffering the effects of a traumatic brain injury.
The challenge in these cases is the misconceptions about the consequences after a traumatic brain injury. The person has a normal brain scan and looks normal, so they must be normal. However, beneath the surface their lives are falling apart.
I read psychological evaluations where the client tells the therapist 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. A headache interferes with their concentration. All of these can contribute to emotional and personality changes.
The insurance company then looks for ways to combat the client’s symptoms. They will try to find some problems in her story. The client had a history of headaches or emotional and psychological problems before the incident. For example, a recent divorce can be a target.
The best way to combat the onslaught of insurance skeptics is neuropsychological evaluation. Neuropsychological evaluation can provide evidence of brain damage that is not available through conventional neurological examinations. Assessment is carried out with individual objective tests and standardized test batteries. 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 offense against the renegade insurance company that wants to deny or reduce the value of a claim after suffering a serious brain injury in a car accident. cars.
