Can You File a Brain Injury Claim if Initial Scans Show No Damage?

Yes, you can file a brain injury claim even if your first CT scan or MRI shows no damage. A normal scan does not rule out a concussion or other mild traumatic brain injury. You may still have a valid claim if someone else’s negligence caused your injury and you can show how it affected your health and daily life.

Tacoma sits along Commencement Bay and serves as a regional transportation and logistics hub. Its busy roads, public transit routes, sidewalks, and bike paths connect people throughout the city. After a traffic accident or fall, someone may leave the hospital with normal scan results but continue to experience headaches, dizziness, or trouble concentrating. A Tacoma brain injury lawyer can help explain how medical records and other evidence may support a claim, even when initial imaging appears normal.

The key is to look beyond the scan itself. Follow-up medical visits, changes in daily life, missed work, and ongoing symptoms can help show how the injury has affected you. Seeking medical care and keeping track of your symptoms can support both your recovery and your ability to pursue compensation.

Why a Normal Scan Doesn't Rule Out a Brain Injury

A CT scan can help doctors spot bleeding or other serious damage, but it cannot rule out every concussion. A concussion affects how the brain works and may not cause changes that appear on routine imaging. The CDC’s guidance, updated in September 2025, explains that a brain scan is not required to identify a mild traumatic brain injury. Doctors also consider the impact, symptoms, and results of an exam.

Symptoms may start hours or days after an accident. They can include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light or noise, memory problems, trouble focusing, mood changes, and poor sleep. Tell a healthcare provider about new symptoms, even if you felt fine at first.

What Evidence Can Support Your Claim?

Your scan is one part of the medical record, not the whole case. Evidence is stronger when it shows what happened, when symptoms began, and how they changed your daily life.

Helpful records may include:

• Medical notes: Follow-up visits, a concussion diagnosis, referrals, and treatment recommendations.

• A symptom log: Write down headaches, dizziness, concentration problems, sleep changes, and days when symptoms stop you from doing usual tasks.

• Work and expense records: Save pay stubs, missed-work notes, bills, prescription costs, and receipts for care or travel.

• Accident evidence: Keep photos, witness details, incident reports, and any available video.

Be specific and honest with your medical team. If symptoms affect driving, cooking, childcare, or your job, explain how. Don't assume a detail is too small to matter.

How Washington Law Applies

To recover compensation, you generally need evidence that another party’s negligence caused your injury and resulting losses. A normal scan may give an insurer a reason to question the claim, but it does not automatically disprove a concussion. Medical records and a clear timeline can help connect the accident to your symptoms.

Washington also follows a rule of comparative fault. Under RCW 4.22.005, “any contributory fault chargeable to the claimant diminishes proportionately” damages awarded, “but does not bar recovery.” In plain terms, being partly at fault may reduce compensation rather than automatically prevent it.

For many personal injury claims, RCW 4.16.080(2) sets a three-year deadline to file a lawsuit. Exceptions and different rules may apply, including in some claims involving government entities, so the deadline depends on the facts.

Key Takeaways

• You can file a brain injury claim even if your initial CT scan or MRI shows no damage.

• A normal scan does not rule out a concussion. Some brain injuries affect brain function without visible changes on routine imaging.

• Symptoms may appear later. Headaches, dizziness, memory problems, and trouble concentrating can develop hours or days after an accident.

• Medical records matter. Follow-up visits, treatment notes, and a symptom diary can help document your injury and its effects.

• Evidence helps establish liability. Accident reports, witness accounts, lost wage records, and medical bills can support your claim.

• Washington follows comparative fault rules. Under RCW 4.22.005, your compensation may be reduced if you share responsibility for the accident.

• Legal deadlines apply. Many Washington personal injury lawsuits have a three-year filing limit under RCW 4.16.080, though exceptions may apply.