Why Do Concussions Go Unreported?
April 2026
Personal injury lawyers see the consequences of unreported brain injuries every day. Injured persons often wait weeks or months to seek help only to find that the path to just compensation has become more difficult. Unlike an objective injury, like a broken arm, a traumatic brain injury is often invisible. A brain injury does not show up on an x-ray. Furthermore, standard CT scans and MRI's often comeback "normal" even when the brains delicate pathways have been damaged. The invisible nature of the injury leads people to not seek care in the first place. This leads to the brain injury worsening and turning into a chronic condition such as post-concussion syndrome.
The symptoms of brain injury are often vague and overlap symptoms with other conditions such as depression, anxiety or general fatigue. Many people just feel like they they have been "shaken up" in an accident when in fact they are suffering from a neurological injury.
Unfortunately, in the legal world the gap in treatment is weapon the the insurance industry uses against injured persons to deny claims. The gap in treatment leads to arguments from the insurance company about causastion and the severity of the injury.
If you have have suffered an injury due the negligence of another, we encourage to follow up and seek treatment. At Herrick & Hart, we have been on the side of the injured since 1951. We offer a free consultation on personal injury cases.