My MRI Is Normal — Does That End My Concussion Claim?
Short answer: no. Concussion and post-concussive syndrome are clinical diagnoses. Standard CT and MRI are looking for bleeding and structural damage — not for the injury you have.
What the scans are actually for
When an emergency room orders a head CT after a crash, it is ruling out the injuries that kill people that night: bleeds, fractures, swelling. A normal scan is genuinely good news. What it is not is proof that your brain is fine. The microscopic, diffuse injury behind a concussion does not show up on standard imaging, and every competent neurologist knows it.
Insurance adjusters know it too — and count on jurors not knowing. "The MRI was normal" is one of the most common defense themes in brain injury litigation. It is also, medically, close to meaningless for a concussion claim.
What the injury actually looks like
Post-concussive syndrome is a clinical picture: headaches that will not resolve, vertigo and balance problems, tinnitus, double or blurred vision, sensitivity to light and noise, disrupted sleep, and the cognitive symptoms — memory lapses, word-finding trouble, the inability to concentrate through a workday. For most people it resolves in weeks. For an unlucky minority it lasts months or years, and it changes what they can earn and who they are.
How these cases are actually proven
Not with a single scan — with a record. Neuropsychological testing that objectively documents cognitive deficits. Vestibular and vision therapy records. The treating physicians' longitudinal notes. Co-workers and family who describe the before and the after. And careful wage-loss documentation, because in these cases the lost earnings often dwarf the medical bills.
Two of our results turned on exactly this
$750,000 — rear-ended by a commercial van; permanent post-concussion injury on under $34,000 in medical bills. $350,000 — rear-end collision; neurological injury with normal brain imaging throughout. In both, the bill total said "minor case." The clinical record said otherwise, and the record won.
These case results are examples of matters handled by Posey Lebowitz PLLC. The outcome of any case depends on the specific facts and legal circumstances of that case. These results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future matter. Amounts shown are gross recoveries before attorney's fees, case expenses, and medical liens.
If an adjuster is waving a normal scan at you, do not negotiate against yourself.
Talk to us before you talk to the insurance company. The consultation is free. Call (202) 524-0123 or send us the details.