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The moments following a car accident in Montana are often a blur of adrenaline, confusion, and shock. Whether you were rear-ended on a slick street in Great Falls, involved in a high-speed T-bone collision in Billings, or caught in a highway pileup near Missoula, your first instinct is usually to check for broken bones or bleeding. However, one of the most dangerous injuries sustained in Montana wrecks isn’t always visible to the naked eye.
A concussion from a car accident is a serious medical condition that requires immediate attention and legal consideration. Many victims walk away from a crash site thinking they are “fine,” only to find themselves struggling with debilitating headaches, memory loss, and emotional instability days or weeks later.
At Conner, Marr & Pinski, we understand that a “mild” traumatic brain injury is anything but mild to the person living through it. If you are experiencing symptoms of a brain injury after a crash, call us at (406) 727-3550 for a free consultation.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. In the context of a car accident, this sudden acceleration or deceleration forces the brain to bounce around or twist inside the skull.
This movement can create chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretch and damage brain cells. While medical professionals often describe concussions as mild TBIs because they are usually not life-threatening, their effects can be devastating and long-lasting.
It is a common misconception that you must lose consciousness to have a concussion. In reality, the vast majority of concussions do not involve a “blackout.” You may remain fully conscious but still suffer significant neurological damage.
Symptoms of a concussion may not appear immediately. Due to the surge of adrenaline during a collision, your body may mask pain and cognitive deficits. This is why it is vital to monitor your health closely in the days following an accident.
In the minutes or hours following a crash, you might notice:
However, it is very common to experience concussion symptoms days later. Other delayed symptoms include:
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, seeking medical attention is the first priority. The second priority is protecting your legal rights by contacting a car accident attorney at Conner, Marr & Pinski.
When a concussion is not treated properly, or when a person suffers multiple impacts, the results can be permanent. Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) occurs when symptoms last for months or even years after the initial injury. These long-term effects often manifest as chronic migraines that interfere with the ability to maintain a standard work schedule or executive dysfunction that makes it difficult to plan, organize, or multitask.
The physical damage to brain tissue can alter a person’s temperament, leading to profound personality changes that strain relationships with family and friends. In Montana, where many residents rely on physical labor or high-concentration jobs in industries like agriculture, healthcare, or engineering, these long-term effects can result in a total loss of earning capacity. A seemingly minor concussion can quickly evolve into a life-altering disability if the proper medical and legal steps aren’t taken early on.
One of the most frequent questions we hear at Conner, Marr & Pinski is: “I didn’t hit my head on the steering wheel or window. Can I still have a concussion?”
The answer is yes.
This is often referred to as a whiplash-induced concussion. When a vehicle is struck, the force causes the occupant’s neck to whip forward and back violently. This motion causes the brain to strike the interior of the skull. You do not need physical contact with an object to sustain a brain injury. The sheer force of inertia is enough to cause microscopic tearing of brain fibers.
Insurance adjusters often try to argue that if there is no point of impact on the head, there is no injury. We know better. We work with medical experts to prove that the biomechanics of a crash can cause a mild traumatic brain injury in car accident victims, even without a bruise or a bump.
A concussion claim is not just about a headache; it is about how that injury has fundamentally changed your life. In Montana, a concussion becomes a serious injury claim when it impacts your quality of life or your ability to function as you did before the accident.
To build a successful brain injury claim in Montana, we look for evidence of:
Whether you need a car accident lawyer in Helena or Kalispell, our team is prepared to treat your personal injury claim with the serious attention it deserves.
Insurance companies are in the business of minimizing risk and maximizing profit, and they have a specific playbook used to devalue concussion claims. They often rely on the subjective symptom argument, claiming that because concussions often don’t show up on standard MRIs or CT scans the victim is exaggerating their symptoms.
They may also utilize the low impact myth, arguing that because the damage to your vehicle was minor, your body could not have sustained a brain injury. This ignores the scientific reality that the brain is fragile and even low-speed collisions can cause a significant TBI. This is why having a firm experienced in unfair insurance practices is critical.
At Conner, Marr & Pinski, we know how to counter these tactics by using advanced diagnostic evidence and expert testimony to prove the reality of your condition.
If you have suffered a concussion from a car accident, you may be entitled to various forms of compensation. Your compensation should cover:
Every case is unique, and Montana law allows for the recovery of these damages to make the victim whole again.
It is important to act quickly. In Montana, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is three years from the date of the accident. However, waiting is never a good idea.
In brain injury cases, evidence can disappear. Witnesses’ memories fade, and more importantly, the gap in treatment becomes a weapon for the insurance company. If you wait six months to see a doctor about your dizziness after a car accident, the insurance company will argue that something else must have caused it in the intervening months.
If you are struggling with post concussion symptoms after a car accident, do not suffer in silence. The confusion, the headaches, and the irritability are not all in your head. These are real physical injuries that deserve compensation and proper medical care. The path to recovery can be long and exhausting, but you do not have to walk it alone.
Whether you were injured by a distracted driver on I-15 or a drunk driver in town, we are here to hold the negligent parties accountable. Let us handle the insurance adjusters and the legal deadlines while you focus on your health and your family. We take all car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Contact Conner, Marr & Pinski today. Call us at (406) 727-3550 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
