Many online tools offer a “range,” but they typically assume simplified facts—like a straight-line recovery timeline or easily documented severity. Real TBI claims rarely work that way.
In practice, insurers will look at:
- whether the first medical visit happened promptly after the incident
- whether your symptoms were consistently described over time (not just once)
- how your day-to-day functioning changed—especially returning to work or commuting
- whether the records match the mechanism of injury (how it happened)
For residents who commute, the “functional impact” piece can be especially important. Symptoms that affect concentration, reaction time, sleep, or mood can make driving and work performance harder, even when scans don’t show a dramatic injury.


