Head Injury Symptoms After a Car Accident: Warning Signs to Watch For

The CDC lists danger signs after a head injury that need emergency care, including:

• A headache that gets worse and doesn’t go away
• Repeated vomiting or nausea
• Slurred speech, weakness, numbness or decreased coordination
• One pupil larger than the other
• Unusual drowsiness or being unable to wake up
• Convulsions or seizures
• Confusion, restlessness or agitation
• Loss of consciousness, even briefly

Source: CDC HEADS UP: signs and symptoms. Call 911 if you see these signs in yourself or someone else.

• Physical: headache, dizziness, balance problems, sensitivity to light or noise, blurred vision
• Thinking: trouble concentrating or remembering, feeling slowed down or “foggy”
• Emotional: irritability, sadness, anxiety, mood swings
• Sleep: sleeping much more or less than usual, trouble falling asleep

Symptoms can be subtle. Family members often notice changes first, such as forgetfulness or a short temper.

Swelling and chemical changes in the brain can develop over time, and pain from other injuries can distract you from head symptoms at first. That’s why a doctor may tell you to watch for new symptoms over the next several days. Our guide to delayed symptoms and gaps in treatment explains why getting checked early matters for your claim, too.

• How the crash happened: speed, where you were sitting, whether your head hit anything, and whether airbags deployed
• Whether you lost consciousness or can’t remember part of the crash
• Every symptom, even ones that seem minor or embarrassing
• Any earlier head injuries

Diagnosis may involve a neurological exam and, in some cases, imaging such as a CT scan. A normal CT scan doesn’t rule out a concussion.

• Keep a daily symptom log. Our free injury pain journal works well.
• Ask family members or coworkers to write down changes they notice.
• Keep follow-up and therapy appointments, and keep the records.
• Save records of missed work and tasks you can no longer do.

To recover pain and suffering from an at-fault driver, Kentucky’s no-fault law generally requires more than $1,000 in medical expenses, or an injury such as a fracture, permanent injury, permanent disfigurement or permanent loss of bodily function (KRS 304.39-060).

Most Kentucky personal injury claims must be filed within one year (KRS 413.140). Most motor vehicle injury claims have two years from the injury or the last PIP payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). Use our statute of limitations calculator to estimate your dates, and talk with a lawyer before a deadline gets close.