We know that a fall, car crash, or assault can jolt the brain hard enough to cause a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI). If you notice suspicious symptoms after a bump, blow, or jolt—seek care as soon as you can. Sometimes in the initial shock and confusion after an injury, people are more focused on immediate pain, and emergency rooms and urgent care clinics don’t always catch every symptom on the first visit, so be persistent about follow-up and evaluation if something feels off.
According to one Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Study (CDC), motor vehicle crashes have accounted for more than 13% of all TBI diagnoses made in emergency room visits, while nearly half were caused by falls, and another 17% were caused by being unintentionally struck by or against an object.
You don’t have to black out to have a concussion. Symptoms can appear right away or be delayed for hours or days. It is important to seek appropriate care, and tell your doctor if you notice:
If you experience any red flag symptoms, like severe/worsening headache, repeated vomiting, confusion, seizures, weakness/numbness, slurred speech, you should seek urgent medical care.
It can be very helpful to bring a loved one along with you to the doctor. Sometimes people who are experiencing brain injury symptoms have difficulties remembering what is happening and even difficulties in communicating adequately everything they are feeling. A loved one may see or know about things that are happening to an injured person that he or she may not be able to adequately explain.
You don’t have to crack your head to injure your brain. In a fall, car crash, or assault, the sudden whip of acceleration or deceleration can make the brain shift and twist inside the skull. That movement stretches delicate nerve fibers and can trigger chemical changes—often without a visible bump or dramatic moment. Many people walk away thinking, “I’m fine, just shaken,” only to notice hours or days later that headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity, or mental fog won’t let up.
And it isn’t just NFL players. High-profile sports stories get attention, but a single event—a slip on wet steps, a fender-bender, a shove or strike—can lead to lingering symptoms for anyone, including children (whose brains are still developing) and older adults (who may be more vulnerable to balance and vision changes). If something feels off after an impact or a hard jolt, tell a doctor and get checked, even if the ER or urgent care didn’t flag it the first time.
Inside your skull, the brain is soft and mobile. When your head whips or stops suddenly, the brain can slide and twist, stretching the tiny wiring—axons—that carry signals between cells. That stretch doesn’t always cause a bruise you can see on a scan, but it can scramble communication, much like tugging on a bundle of phone lines.
In the minutes and hours after the jolt, brain cells dump excitatory chemicals and ions rush in and out. Your brain works hard to reset those balances, burning extra energy at the very moment blood flow can be down. That mismatch creates an energy crunch, and circuits that usually hum along start to misfire—showing up as headaches, fogginess, dizziness, or light and noise sensitivity.
As the body responds, inflammation can make the brain more sensitive for a while. That’s why rest and pacing matter, and why a second hit during recovery is riskier than the first: the system is already irritated and low on reserves. Protecting your recovery window helps those stressed cells settle back into rhythm.
Most people improve within days or weeks. For some, symptoms persist for months. That’s often called post-concussion syndrome. PCS isn’t “in your head,” it reflects ongoing changes in the brain and nervous system. Many people benefit from targeted care such as vestibular therapy, vision therapy, headache management, graded aerobic exercise, and strategies for sleep, attention, and mood.
A seasoned injury lawyer can connect you with the right specialists—vestibular and vision therapy, headache clinics, neuropsychology—and make sure your symptoms are properly evaluated and treated. We also help you document what you’re living through (clear medical records, symptom logs, work/school impacts) so insurers and, if needed, a jury see the full picture while we fight for the resources you need to recover.
TBIs are often invisible injuries. Bills alone don’t show how headaches, light sensitivity, or cognitive fatigue affect work, parenting, and daily life. We help document the full impact so insurers (and juries, if needed) see the truth behind the records.
The Dalton Law Office, PLLC, is a small, very experienced Washington injury firm… and we are fierce litigators and trial lawyers. Often using experts and other professionals, we work to:
This page is provided by lawyers to give you general information and it is not medical advice. If you think you have a concussion or TBI, seek medical care right away. For legal guidance tailored to your situation, contact our office at 360-213-0013.
At the Dalton Law Office, PLLC, we care about helping our seriously injured clients get the help and compensation they deserve. If you suspect you may have suffered a brain injury caused by someone else’s actions or carelessness, get medical attention and call us. We are here to help.