Brain injuries from a car crash can be sneaky and hard to notice. You might not feel any pain at all initially because the injury hasn’t had time to develop. If the crash caused an adrenaline rush, that could cover your sensation of pain.
Brain injuries caused by bleeding, inflammation or bruising inside the skull or on the brain itself may not have obvious symptoms right away. However, as the bleeding continues and the pressure on your brain increases, symptoms may become more noticeable.
How do brains get hurt in crashes?
You can develop a brain injury because of blunt force trauma to your head. If your car spins or flips in the crash, that rough motion could shake your brain and cause damage. Do you have any reason to suspect a potential brain injury, going for medical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests could be smart. Many people avoid such testing because they worry about the costs of an MRI.
How much does an MRI cost?
The average magnetic resonance imaging MRI session will cost the patient somewhere between $400 and $3,500. In some cases, doctors may order follow-up or secondary tests after the initial one to focus on a specific area of the brain. How much cost you actually assume will depend on multiple factors.
If the other driver is at fault for the crash, you can likely expect their insurance to completely cover your medical costs up to the maximum benefit for their policy. Unlike your health insurance, motor vehicle liability insurance for bodily injury does not have a co-pay, deductibles or coinsurance costs for you as the patient.
However, it does have a firm limit. If the other driver has the lowest amount of coverage allowable in Louisiana, that might be just $15,000 worth of medical treatment and lost wage covered.
Earlier testing can protect you in two important ways
If the circumstances of your crash put you at risk for a head injury, if you lost consciousness during the collision or if you develop symptoms of a brain injury shortly after the crash, seeking medical attention right away is in your best interest. Symptoms of brain injuries progress as the injury worsens. Early diagnosis and treatment will improve your long-term prognosis.
Additionally, if you need to file a major insurance claim or possibly pursue a lawsuit against the other driver, medical records from shortly after the crash affirming your brain injury will be important evidence to support your claim.