Can a Car Accident Cause Amnesia?
Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

If you’ve been in a car accident and are now experiencing memory loss, you may wonder, can a car accident cause amnesia? Unfortunately, car accidents can lead to amnesia, a condition characterized by memory loss and difficulty recalling past events.
If you suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car crash, you may be at a higher risk for developing amnesia or memory issues. While seeking compensation after a collision cannot reverse the effects of amnesia, it can provide support for medical expenses, lost income, and the impact on your quality of life.
At Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C., our experienced attorneys understand the effect amnesia after a crash can have on your life. We can guide you through the legal process by ensuring you have medical documentation and skilled legal representation to support a compensation claim.
What is Amnesia?
Amnesia is a neurological condition that can cause partial or complete memory loss. The condition can result from different causes, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) frequently associated with car accidents.
Amnesia can occur in a car crash when a traumatic brain injury damages the parts of the brain needed for memory formation and retrieval, called the hippocampus and temporal lobes. When these brain structures are harmed, memory impairment can result. A common type of amnesia in car accidents is retrograde amnesia, which affects memories from before the accident.
This memory loss can impact your relationships, career, and daily functioning, preventing you from remembering important memories or information. Not remembering who you are, your loved ones’ names or details about yourself or your life can lead to confusion, frustration, and isolation.
Treating amnesia also requires costly medical care, cognitive therapy, and rehabilitation that involves memory retraining exercises, psychological counseling, and techniques to improve daily functioning.
If you are dealing with memory loss after a crash caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Pursuing a settlement for your TBI-induced amnesia can help you seek a fair settlement to help you pay for necessary medical care and cognitive services to rebuild your life.
Types of Amnesia
A car crash can have lasting effects on your memory, leading to different forms of amnesia. After a car accident, you may suffer the following types of memory loss:
- Retrograde Amnesia: Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories formed before the onset of amnesia. It can range from mild to severe, with individuals forgetting recent events or their entire past.
- Anterograde Amnesia: Anterograde amnesia is characterized by the inability to form new memories after the onset of amnesia. Individuals with this type of amnesia struggle to remember new information or experiences shortly after they occur.
- Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA): PTA refers to a period of memory loss following a car accident. During this time, individuals may experience disorientation, confusion, and difficulty forming new memories. The duration of PTA can vary, lasting from minutes to weeks or even longer.
- Transient Global Amnesia (TGA): Although not exclusive to car accidents, TGA can occur due to head trauma. It leads to a temporary and sudden loss of memory, typically lasting a few hours. Individuals experiencing TGA may struggle to recall recent events or retain new information during that time.
- Dissociative Amnesia: This type of amnesia is associated with psychological trauma. Car accidents are traumatic events; the emotional and psychological distress experienced during a crash can trigger dissociative amnesia. This serves as a protective mechanism, shielding individuals from distressing memories associated with the traumatic event.
Symptoms of Amnesia After a Car Accident
Knowing the symptoms of amnesia can help you understand the extent of your cognitive impairment after a crash. With cognitive injuries such as amnesia, you may not notice memory changes immediately; they may appear weeks, days, or months after the incident.
If you are experiencing any of these short-term or long-term symptoms, seek medical care and request a free consultation with a qualified brain injury attorney from Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. to protect your rights to compensation.
Short-Term Memory Loss After a Car Accident
Certain forms of amnesia after a car accident can cause short-term memory loss, such as anterograde amnesia or post traumatic amnesia. Common symptoms include:
- Difficulty retaining new information. You may need help remembering recent discussions, conversations, and appointments. You may also misplace items or have issues remembering where you left them.
- Repeating questions or statements. People afflicted with short-term memory loss may repeat the same questions or make the same statements within short time frames.
- Feelings of disorientation. You may feel confused about current events or your location due to issues remembering where you are in time or place.
- Increased dependency on note-taking. You may need to write notes on paper or use a phone app more often to manage your day or keep track of daily tasks.
- Difficulties with learning. Short-term memory loss can make it harder to absorb and work with new information if you’re currently studying or training.
- Social withdrawal. Memory issues can make forming or maintaining relationships more difficult and frustrating. As a result, you may feel the need to withdraw from social interactions.
Long-Term Memory Loss After a Car Accident
Other types of amnesia resulting from accidents, like retrograde and dissociative amnesia, often lead to long-term memory loss. Common symptoms include:
- Can’t remember past experiences. A typical sign of long-term memory loss is the inability to recall past experiences, such as family events, school days, vacations, or significant occasions.
- Inconsistent memory. Your memory might have sporadic and uneven gaps. For instance, you could perfectly recall attending a certain concert or visiting a specific place but completely forget other similar events.
- Confabulating memories. Sometimes, individuals who have experienced brain injuries or long-term memory loss due to a car accident may be susceptible to confabulation. This condition involves the brain filling memory gaps with fabricated yet plausible details that did not occur.
- Issues recognizing familiar things. People with long-term memory loss often struggle with recognizing familiar people and places. This can manifest as difficulty remembering family members’ faces, their home’s layout, or the route to their workplace.
- Temporal confusion. A lesser-known consequence of long-term memory loss is the difficulty in placing events in their proper chronological sequence. For instance, individuals might recall specific incidents but struggle to remember when or in what order they occurred.
- Changes in personality. While it is relatively uncommon, some people with long-term memory loss might undergo personality changes. This can happen because they may not remember certain memories or events that have previously influenced their identity, behaviors, or decision-making processes.
Can I Sue For Memory Loss After a Car Accident?
Yes. If you began to experience memory loss following a car accident, the settlement may cover all related losses, including those linked to your amnesia. However, it’s necessary to demonstrate that the memory loss was caused by the accident or resulted from injuries sustained in the accident.
In Michigan, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit against those responsible for your injuries.
Why is Seeking a Diagnosis Crucial to Recovering Compensation?
Seeking a professional diagnosis is crucial when pursuing a compensation claim for amnesia caused by a car accident. Your attorney can use a formal diagnosis from a medical expert as a critical part of your legal strategy. Medical records and expert opinions are necessary to establish a connection between the accident and resulting memory loss.
Our legal team at Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. includes partner attorney Eileen Kroll. Eileen is a registered nurse who has worked in healthcare for many years. She can use her medical knowledge to connect you with respected amnesia experts for an accurate diagnosis and review your records to support your case.
After a crash, you can take the following steps to ensure you receive an appropriate medical diagnosis and treatment:
- Initial medical assessment. Immediately after a car accident, seek prompt medical attention, even if you feel fine. This evaluation sets the foundation for your diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
During the initial medical assessment, healthcare professionals will thoroughly evaluate your condition, including potential head injuries. This may involve a neurological examination, asking about details of the event, and assessing symptoms of disorientation or awareness. - Consultation with specialists. You may, independently or at your attorney’s suggestion, consult with specialists such as neurologists or neuropsychologists to obtain a comprehensive diagnosis. These experts may use assessments to understand your TBI, such as the Wechsler Memory Scale or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
- Diagnostic testing. Diagnostic testing is crucial in evaluating amnesia and determining its underlying causes. Your provider may administer additional diagnostic testing with neuroimaging tools, like MRI or CT scans, to obtain detailed images of your brain. These tests provide objective evidence of amnesia and aid in understanding the specific impact of the car accident on your memory function.
How Does Filing a Compensation Claim Help You Recover After a Collision?
Working with an attorney to seek compensation after an auto accident can help you receive a settlement to pay for your medical care and other calculable expenses and losses. It can also offer compensation for the intangible losses suffered due to your amnesia, such as loss of enjoyment of life and impact on your relationships with loved ones.
To seek compensation for amnesia-related damages, your attorney from Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. can help you explore all compensation avenues, including a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or third-party claim.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Benefits
All drivers in Michigan must have PIP insurance to cover medical costs in an accident, no matter who is at fault. Under your PIP coverage, you are entitled to benefits that can help with your amnesia-related recovery and financial losses, including:
- Coverage for reasonable medical expenses. Your insurance company’s PIP policy can cover medical expenses, including ambulance services, emergency room care, surgeries, hospital stays, and visits to doctors and specialists.
- Compensation for lost income. If you have to take time off work to recover from the accident, PIP benefits can provide compensation for a portion of your lost income. Typically, you are entitled to receive up to 85% of the income you would have earned during your recovery period.
- Replacement services. PIP benefits may cover replacement services to assist with household chores you cannot perform. These services can include childcare, housekeeping, and other necessary tasks. Typically, you can receive up to $20 daily for these services.
- Attendant care. If you require assistance with daily activities due to amnesia, PIP benefits can cover the cost of attendant care. Coverage can provide up to 56 hours of care to help you with your day-to-day needs.
Third-Party Claims and Lawsuits
If your damages exceed your allowed PIP benefits or meet the state’s serious injury threshold, you may consider filing a third-party claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Through a third-party claim, you can seek compensation for various damages, including:
- Medical bills and expenses. This encompasses the hospital and surgery costs after the accident and all future expenses, including ongoing medical treatments, rehabilitation, therapy, and necessary equipment.
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity. If your amnesia has caused you to stop working or has limited your ability to earn income in the future, you can seek compensation for these financial losses.
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Experiencing amnesia and the trauma of an accident can lead to emotional distress, including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Compensation may be available if you have suffered emotional distress due to another person’s negligence.
- Loss of consortium. If you have a spouse, they may also experience emotional and physical impacts due to your amnesia and injuries. Loss of consortium compensation addresses the loss of companionship, society, and the intimate relationship shared with your spouse.
Seek the Compensation You Deserve for Memory Loss After a Car Accident
Losing memories after a car accident can be a distressing experience. The car accident lawyers at Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. are committed to securing the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. We can provide the legal expertise needed to understand how a car accident can cause amnesia by gathering crucial evidence and assessing the negligence involved in your case.
Our contingency fee basis means we only get paid if we win your case, so there is no financial risk to you to get started. Call our law firm today at 1-866-MICH-LAW and schedule your no-obligation, free case evaluation.
Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.