A brain-injury assessment may involve emergency records, imaging, examinations, symptom history, cognitive or functional testing, referrals, treatment, and later reassessment. Diagnosis and care belong with qualified professionals. The documentation task is to preserve what was observed, reviewed, found, and recommended at each stage.

The longitudinal record should identify the evaluator, purpose, information reviewed, reported symptoms, examination or test, finding, diagnosis if made, restriction, plan, and change from the prior assessment.

Build one chronology across providers

  • Crash sequence, helmet and equipment, observed head contact, loss of consciousness or memory information, and emergency observations
  • Headache, dizziness, vision, hearing, sleep, mood, memory, attention, speech, balance, and other symptoms in the source’s words
  • Provider, specialty or role, records reviewed, examination or test, findings, diagnosis, restriction, treatment, referral, and follow-up
  • Work, school, driving, finances, medication management, household tasks, and support needs with dates and sources

Preserve differences rather than averaging them away

Symptoms and test results may change or vary by context. Keep each assessment and the information available to that evaluator. Do not label a test as normal or abnormal beyond the report, and do not substitute a family observation for a clinical finding.

Use official records for the questions they can answer

The CDC describes traumatic brain injury and notes that signs and symptoms can vary. See CDC: About Traumatic Brain Injury.

HHS explains access and amendment rights for many medical and billing records. See U.S. HHS: Your Medical Records.

North Carolina law includes motorcycle helmet and passenger provisions relevant to the equipment record. See North Carolina General Statute 20-140.4.

Connect the file to the next decision

Use a comparison table to show change over time while retaining the complete underlying reports. The related motorcycle head-injury documentation guide provides a focused companion resource.

Rosensteel Fleishman Car Accident & Injury Lawyers provides information about consulting a Charlotte motorcycle accident lawyer when diagnosis, causation, prior condition, function, future care, work, or insurance issues are disputed.

Sources