Mild TBI, Major Impact: Post-Concussion Complications

Concussion complications are often overlooked. As the mildest form of traumatic brain injury, concussions don’t always involve a loss of consciousness, and the initial symptoms can be subtle. However, as time progresses or when multiple concussions are sustained over several years, lasting damage can become more obvious.

Concussion complications can linger for weeks, months, or even longer. In some cases, they can even evolve into serious neurologic and psychological problems, complicating life for victims and their families. The CDC notes that, while many people improve within a couple of weeks, others develop persistent symptoms that affect cognition, sleep, mood, and balance. These long-term impacts can interfere with work, complicate personal relationships, and make day-to-day life much more difficult.

When you sustain a concussion in an accident you did not cause, discussing your injury with a legal team that understands both medicine and the law can help you understand your options. At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our brain injury lawyers have spent nearly 50 years helping individuals and families dealing with concussion complications seek justice. If you or your child has been hurt, we’re here to assess your injury, discuss your legal options, and guide you toward the best solution.

Dealing with Post-Concussion Complications? Learn About Your Rights for FREE

For a FREE consultation with one of the experienced brain injury lawyers at Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, call our Providence office at 401-273-8330 today. We fight for people dealing with serious injury in Coventry, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and throughout the region.

Potential Concussion Complications

There are literally millions of concussions sustained in the United States every year. Leading causes include falls, motor vehicle accidents, contact sports, and workplace injury, but a blow or jolt to the head that temporarily interrupts normal brain function can be sustained in several ways. While not everyone will experience long-term concussion complications, even a single injury can result in:

Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS)

Roughly 10-20% of concussion patients experience PCS. Characterized by symptoms that persist for longer than three months, PCS may include headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, brain fog, memory and attention issues, sensitivity to light and noise, dizziness, and mood changes.

Post-Traumatic Headache (PTH)

Reviews estimate that as many as 90% of TBI patients develop PTH, making it the most common long-term concussion complication. Mimicking migraines and tension-style headaches, nearly a quarter of patients continue to experience PTH one year post-concussion. Many of these headaches are debilitating.

Vestibular and Balance Disorders

Dizziness, vertigo, visual and motion sensitivity, and balance problems are all common after a concussion. Often linked to prolonged recovery, these issues can persist for months or even years, interfering with both work and personal life.

Cognitive and Executive Dysfunction

A concussion can impair attention, processing speed, working memory, and multitasking. In some patients, thinking and memory problems will persist for several months, affecting school, work, and home life.

Sleep Disturbances

Insomnia and fragmented sleep are common after a concussion. These sleep disturbances can worsen headaches, mood, and cognitive issues. They can also impact basic functioning and have an impact on overall systemic health.

Mood and Behavioral Changes

Depression, anxiety, irritability, emotional instability, and PTSD-like symptoms may follow concussions for many patients. Mood and behavioral changes may even be present years after the injury. Importantly, studies have also found a link between concussions and elevated suicidal ideation and attempts.

Second Impact Syndrome

A rare but catastrophic concussion complication, second impact syndrome occurs when a second concussion is sustained while still in recovery from the first. When it doesn’t result in death, second impact syndrome can cause permanent neurological impairment with long-term cognitive, physical, and behavioral difficulties.

The Long-Term Costs of Concussion

Even though considered “mild” as far as brain injury goes, the long-term costs of a concussion can be anything but. Depending on the range of concussion consequences you experience, long-term costs can include:

• Direct medical expenses such as neurology visits, headache management, vestibular/oculomotor therapy, neuropsychological testing, mental-health care, sleep medicine, and medications.
• Lost income and productivity, including time away from work or school, reduced hours, demotions, and job loss.
• Life-impact costs, like transportation for appointments, home modifications, tutoring, academic accommodations, childcare coverage when symptoms flare, and the intangible costs of missed life events.

When calculating the long-term costs of a concussion, several factors need to be considered. At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, we take time to understand how your concussion complications have impacted your life, along with all of the ways they may continue to do so. This ensures the compensation we seek is truly in line with your losses. During your FREE case review, we can discuss how damages are calculated to help you understand what your claim may be worth.

Damages You Can Seek Following a Concussion

If your concussion results in long-term complications, you may be entitled to seek compensation for:

• Medical Expenses and Rehabilitation
• Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity
• Pain and Suffering
• Emotional Distress
• Forced Changes to Lifestyle
• And More

There are no caps placed on damages in Rhode Island. This means you can seek dollar-for-dollar compensation for all economic losses and as much in non-economic damages as deemed appropriate by your lawyer and, when needed, a judge or jury. In cases where a concussion was the result of intentional or particularly reckless behavior, you may also be allowed to seek punitive damages to punish the responsible party.

Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell Is Here to Help

For nearly 50 years, Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell has stood with injured people across Rhode Island. Concussion cases demand precision. The symptoms can wax and wane, standard imaging can be normal, and insurers and defense experts often minimize what they cannot see. Our team has seen how concussion complications can have a profound impact on quality of life and daily functioning. We know how to build strong, evidence-driven claims that seek compensation consistent with those struggles.

We will:

• Listen to your concerns. We take time to understand how your symptoms affect your work, school, family roles, and daily life, and we translate that impact into damages.
• Document everything. We gather ER records, medical notes, neuropsychological evaluations, vestibular/oculomotor testing, therapy logs, school and work accommodation records, and expert opinions to connect the dots between mechanism and symptoms.
• Quantify long-term harm. We account for care costs, lost earnings, reduced earning capacity, and the day-to-day limitations that make life harder after a concussion.

Even a mild TBI can get worse with age, making the proper calculation of your damages incredibly important. Our goal is to secure the total compensation you will require now and into the future, allowing you to focus on living your best life regardless of the post-concussion complications you may face.

Talk to One of Our Concussion Injury Attorneys for FREE

If you are dealing with concussion complications after a crash, fall, sports injury, or other incident, use our online contact form or call our Providence office to schedule your FREE consultation today. Serving Rhode Island and nearby areas of Massachusetts, our lawyers help victims of injury seek and secure the compensation required to make the best recovery possible.