Man Suffers Neurological Damage From Bus Accident

This case involves a middle-aged man who was injured during a bus accident. The man was sitting in the front of the bus in the first row of seating and was not wearing his seatbelt. During the ride, the bus driver rear-ended a car that stopped short in front of her. The impact of the crash caused the man to project forward colliding with the glass. The man immediately lost consciousness and was taken to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with a concussion and post-concussive syndrome. The man continues to have neurological and psychological symptoms as a result of the accident.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please describe your background in neuropsychology.

2. What kind of neuropsychological symptoms can occur as a result of a motor vehicle accident?

Expert Witness Response E-160382

I am a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist. I have worked in hospitals, group private practice settings, and am now a sole private practitioner conducting forensic work. My clinical background has made me competent in assessing individuals with all kinds of neurological presentations. I have experience with epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, dementia, movement disorders, and stroke as well as pediatric/developmental issues. I currently average at seeing several post-concussive syndrome patients per year. I have been reviewing forensic cases for the past approximate two years and have done depositions within a city school system. As per your question regarding neuropsychological sequelae of a traumatic brain injury, it would certainly be dependent upon the type and severity of the brain injury. Someone with a loss of consciousness following a motor vehicle accident would be expected to be at greater risk for decreased attention/concentration, processing speed, and memory functioning primarily with psychological manifestations of depression, irritability possible as well. The severity of the symptoms expected in the 2 years following a concussion would be dependent upon the severity of the injury. Neurological problems including frequent headache, dizziness, vomiting/nausea would be likely in the acute phase but not necessarily be expected in a traumatic brain injury after time has passed.