Brain Injury | Virginia
Brain Injury in Older Adults After a Car Accident in Virginia
Symptoms can be slow to appear and easy to mistake for normal aging. Here is what families should know and watch for after a crash.
Published November 7, 2026
An older adult brain injury after a car accident can be easy to miss. The signs often look like normal aging, stress, or a health problem the person already has. If an older parent or spouse hit their head in a crash, watch for changes over days and weeks, not just the first few hours. This guide explains why these injuries get missed, what symptoms to watch for, and what the family can record. It also covers the Virginia deadlines that may apply.
Why a Head Injury in an Older Adult Can Be Missed
Older adults can hit their head in a crash and feel fine at the scene. Later changes may not be linked back to the crash.
A head can strike a window, an airbag, or the steering wheel with little visible damage. The person may feel shaken but not hurt, so nobody thinks to mention the bump. Days later, confusion or slow thinking may get blamed on age, stress, or a medicine the person already takes.
Older adults also tend to play down symptoms. A parent may not want children to worry, so they say they are fine.
Virginia’s brain injury resource states that motor vehicle accidents can cause traumatic brain injury. It describes brain injury as damage to or changes in brain function caused by an external force. A head strike does not need to look severe to matter. Because the cause is easy to overlook, the family should connect any new change to the crash.
If an older loved one hit their head in a crash, you do not have to face the questions alone. The firm is ready to talk through what may come next. Talk it through with Correll Law Firm — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Symptoms Families Should Watch For After a Crash
Watch for new headaches, confusion, memory gaps, dizziness, sleep changes, and mood changes after any head strike.
Memory gaps are a common concern. The person may not remember the crash itself, or the hours right after it. Note any gap, even if it seems small. Balance problems, nausea, and unusual tiredness or irritability also count. Write down what you see, not just whether the person says they are fine.
Symptoms can show up hours, days, or weeks after the crash. A calm first day does not rule out a brain injury. Keep watching for weeks, not days, and tell the doctor about any change you notice.
Some signs need emergency care right away. These include repeated vomiting, a headache that keeps getting worse, a seizure, pupils of different sizes, slurred speech, new weakness, or drowsiness that is hard to wake from. Do not wait for a routine appointment if you see any of these.
Why a Prompt Medical Evaluation Matters
A prompt medical evaluation is the first step, even when the older adult says they feel fine.
Only a doctor can diagnose a brain injury, according to Virginia’s brain injury resource. A family’s observations help, but they do not replace that exam.
Tell every provider exactly how the crash happened. Say whether the head struck a window, the airbag, or the ground. Say whether the person passed out, even briefly, and whether they remember the crash.
Bring a complete medication list to each visit. Include blood thinners and any over-the-counter pain or sleep products. Providers use this information to decide what care is needed.
A first visit may not show everything. Follow-up appointments, and any memory or thinking tests the provider recommends, can reveal problems that were not visible at first. Keep every appointment, and ask the provider what to watch for at home.
What the Family Can Document
The family can keep a dated symptom journal, every medical record, and the facts of the crash.
Start the journal the day of the crash. Each day, write what you noticed about headaches, confusion, sleep, mood, balance, and everyday tasks. Include driving, cooking, paying bills, and taking medicines. Describe changes in plain words, such as “missed two doses this week” or “got lost on the route to church.”
Save every record. That includes discharge papers, imaging reports, prescription lists, and bills. Write down each provider’s name and the date of each visit.
Record the crash facts while they are fresh. Note the date, the location, the other driver’s information, the police report number, witness names, and photos of the vehicles and the scene.
Virginia requires a driver involved in a crash with injury or death to stop and report it to police immediately (Va. Code §§ 46.2-371, 46.2-894). Keep the report number with your other records.
Long-Term Effects and Daily Life
Some brain injuries can change memory, attention, judgment, and mood for months or longer.
Changes often appear in everyday life before they show up on a test. A parent may miss medications, get lost on a familiar route, or struggle with bills. A spouse may notice new irritability or a loss of interest in things the person used to enjoy.
Describe these changes in concrete terms in the journal. Specific notes with dates help providers more than general notes like “not himself.”
Driving deserves special attention. A medical provider can advise on whether driving is safe. Families may raise concerns with that provider directly.
For a broader overview, read traumatic brain injury after car and truck accidents. For the difference between brain injury types, see acquired and traumatic brain injury.
Insurance Contacts and Recorded Statements
An insurance adjuster may ask for a recorded statement soon after a crash.
The adjuster may call the injured person, or a family member acting for them. A person recovering from a head injury may not recall timing, names, or symptoms accurately. Memory problems can make a quick answer incomplete or wrong.
Before agreeing to a recorded statement, the family may wish to review the questions and the timing. It is reasonable to say you need time to gather records. A family may also wish to speak with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement.
Avoid guessing. If you do not know an answer, say so, and check your journal first.
Keep all insurer letters, claim numbers, and call notes in the same file as the medical records. Write the date, the adjuster’s name, and what was said on each call.
Not sure what your next step is?
Talk it through with Correll Law Firm — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Time Limits and When a Death Is Involved
Virginia generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Va. Code § 8.01-243(A)); the clock runs from the date of injury, not the date of discovery, with narrow exceptions.
Some claims carry notice requirements that run out sooner. Personal injury claims must generally be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, so write the crash date at the top of your records.
If an older adult dies after the crash, a different timeline applies. Va. Code § 8.01-244(B) provides that every action under § 8.01-50 is brought by the personal representative of the decedent within two years after the death of the injured person. The statute at Va. Code § 8.01-53 sets out who shares in any award.
If an insurer suggests the older adult was partly at fault, keep this rule in mind. Virginia follows contributory negligence: if you are found even partly at fault, you may be barred from recovering, with limited exceptions. Talk to a lawyer about your facts.
Common Questions Families Ask
Here are short answers to common questions about an older adult brain injury after a car accident.
Can a brain injury show up weeks after a crash?
Yes. Symptoms can appear days or weeks later, so keep watching and recording changes.
Is a normal early scan enough?
Not always. A first scan may not show every problem, so follow-up care still matters.
Should the family keep car or phone records?
Yes. Keep photos, phone records, and vehicle details from the crash, since they may matter later.
Does a head injury affect driving?
A medical provider can advise on driving safety. Families may raise their concerns with that provider.