Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury & the Role of Your Tampa Auto Accident Lawyer

The possibility of a traumatic brain injury after an auto accident is a frightening prospect. While it may not seem life threatening at the scene of an auto accident, traumatic brain injury is a very serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Without proper care, a traumatic brain injury can worsen, leading to permanent disability or death. Whether your auto accident was in downtown Tampa, Brooksville, or Sarasota, it is always a good idea to see a doctor immediately after the accident so that you can be screened for traumatic brain injury. If there is an injury present, your next call should be to a Tampa auto accident lawyer who will aggressively fight for compensation for your injuries.

When a patient is taken into a Tampa Bay area hospital because he or she is suspected of having a traumatic brain injury after an auto accident, the patient will undergo a series of lifesaving measures, tests, and scans to learn the extent of the injuries. First, doctors will make sure breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are stabilized. This may require the patient to be placed on medications and mechanical ventilation.

To diagnose a traumatic brain injury, it may be necessary for the patient to go through a variety of scans so that doctors can see the damage to brain tissue. Common scans include a CAT scan and MRI. In addition to those, doctors may also want to perform specialized scans to see the blood vessels in the brain, test the pressure within the brain, and measure electrical activity. These scans should rule out the possibility of dangerous situations such as bleeding on the brain or skull fractures pressing into brain tissue.

Another step in diagnosing traumatic brain injury is measuring a patient's level of consciousness. This is typically done with a Glasgow Coma Scale. This scale scores a patient's ability to open his or her eyes, respond to pain, move, and make sounds. The score on a Glasgow Coma Scale ranges from 3 (deep unconsciousness) to 15 (fully conscious).

Neurologists may perform a detailed examination to learn the extent of a brain injury. The patient will be asked a series of questions such as, “What is your name? What year is it? What day is it? Where are you?” There will also be a series of commands to follow like, “Raise your hand. Wiggle your toes. Hold up three fingers.” Reflexes, muscle tone, speech, and other capabilities will also be examined. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists will be called in to evaluate the patient's specific lack of abilities.

Since the brain controls intelligence, personality, and everything else in the body, diagnosing a traumatic brain injury is an arduous task that may require weeks or months of medical evaluation. Please call Tampa auto accident lawyer Dale Appell, P.A. if you have any questions or concerns about receiving proper medical care for a traumatic brain injury after a car accident, and we will provide you with a free assessment of your case. We strive for justice for the entire west central Florida area and beyond including Safety Harbor, Citrus, St Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin, Odessa, Riverview, Dade City, Hernando, and Polk.