12 Questions You Should Ask Your Doctor After Suffering A Concussion

Concussions and mild head injuries can be scary, painful, and overwhelming. Unlike other injuries, such as broken bones, it can be difficult to tell the extent of the injury – or to know how to best promote healing and rehabilitation.

One key to having a successful head injury recovery is to educate yourself about concussion – and to use resources like your doctor to learn as much as you can about how to help recover from your own concussion.

Before you go to your doctor’s appointment for your concussion, sit down and write out questions that you’ve like to have answered, both to help get better from this injury and to prevent future injuries. Here are just a few ideas:

• Can you tell how serious my concussion is, and what makes you come to that conclusion?
• What do my head injury symptoms signify, and do you have an idea of how long they might persist?
• Are there any restrictions that I should following after the accident?
• How soon will I be able to return to the following activities (sports, recreation, physical labor, driving, etc.) and can I return at full force?
• Should I be looking out for any specific symptoms in the future that may signify a problem or issue?
• Should I return to school or work? When do you think I should return?
• Do you think I will suffer any long-term consequences from my head injury?
• Will getting a concussion in the future be easier? Will getting a concussion in the future be more dangerous?
• What are my options for treatment, and which options do you recommend?
• Do I need any further appointments or further testing?

Don’t hesitate to ask embarrassing or personal questions – and don’t forget to write down your doctor’s answers! Remember that if you forget to ask something, you can always call your doctor’s office for advice down the road.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and closed head injuries. In fact, our firm in 2000 helped a brain-damaged client receive what was then the largest verdict for a brain injury case in Virginia history. Then in the year 2012 our firm helped a brain injury client receive a $21 million dollar verdict.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and and we have been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Rick and Jim have been listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.
We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg. While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll-free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call promptly.