How Can Memory Loss Impact My Car Accident Claim?

When you’re involved in a car accident, your mind may do extraordinary things in order to protect you from the trauma. One of the things your brain is capable of doing is repressing or blocking out certain memories in order to protect you from the traumatic event.

Because of your mind’s brilliant ability to forget, you may not be able to clearly remember the details of a car accident after getting into one. As frustrating as this might be, don’t forget that your mind is doing this to protect you from further harm.

Read on to learn how memory loss can impact your car accident claim.

Take Note of the Details of the Accident Right Away

As soon as possible following a crash, it’s a good idea to write down what happened in the accident as best as you can remember the events. It’s important to do this right away because you may have difficulty remembering what happened later on.

However, it may not be possible to remember everything, even right after the crash. The reason for this is because “if the brain registers an overwhelming trauma, then it can essentially block that memory in a process called dissociation — or detachment from reality.”

Essentially, dissociation can prevent your thoughts, memory, or sense of identity from making connections. These symptoms are quite common if you’ve experienced mild dissociation.