Insurance Tactics

Insurance Tactics in Brain Injury Claims: The Playbook Is Predictable

Insurance adjusters rarely say, “We don’t believe you.” They say it in slower, cleaner sentences. Brain injury claims—especially concussion and mild TBI—invite that treatment because symptoms are often invisible.

The good news is this: once you understand the playbook, you can document around it.

Tactic #1: “No Head Strike”

They argue you must hit your head to injure your brain. Not true. Acceleration-deceleration can injure the brain. Whiplash mechanisms matter.

Tactic #2: “No Loss of Consciousness”

Loss of consciousness is not required for concussion. This tactic survives because juries have heard the myth, and insurers like myths.

Tactic #3: “Imaging Is Normal”

CT/MRI can be normal in concussion. A normal scan can rule out emergencies. It doesn’t erase symptoms.

Tactic #4: “Symptoms Are Subjective”

Yes—symptoms are self-reported. That doesn’t make them invented. Most human experience is self-reported. Insurers would still accept “I can’t sleep” if they were the one awake at 3 a.m.

Tactic #5: “You Delayed Treatment”

Many people delay care hoping symptoms resolve. That delay needs a clear explanation, and the medical records should reflect it. Delay is common. It is not fatal—unless you leave it unexplained.

What Beats the Playbook

• consistent symptom timeline,

• credible mechanism,

• early evaluation when possible,

• functional impacts documented (work, daily living),

• proper referrals and follow-up.

Insurers don’t fear complaints. They fear well-documented limitations.

Educational only; not legal advice.