Weeks after a crash, a person can walk into a medical appointment but feels unsteady while shopping or turning quickly at work. Both observations belong in the record. A useful account of persistent balance problems explains when symptoms occur, what they interrupt, and what clinicians find over time.
The CDC lists dizziness and balance problems among possible concussion symptoms. It also notes that symptoms can resemble other health problems. The timing of a complaint matters, but timing alone does not establish its cause.
Describe the experience in your own words
Tell the clinician whether the sensation is spinning, faintness, unsteadiness, or something else. Explain what you were doing, how long the episode lasted, and whether other symptoms occurred. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders recommends discussing triggers, duration, associated symptoms, falls, and medications when seeking an evaluation.
A brief entry might read: “Tuesday, during a grocery trip, felt the aisle moving after turning toward a shelf. Sat down and asked my spouse to finish shopping.” Add the approximate duration if known. Do not invent a precise time or intensity rating afterward. If an entry is based on later memory, say when it was written.
Record improvement and symptom-free activity too. A log that repeats “severe dizziness” every day can obscure whether the problem is constant, intermittent, or tied to a particular task.
Keep the records that answer different questions
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Use the arrow keys when the table is focused.
| Record | What to keep | Why the distinction matters |
|---|---|---|
| First reports | Emergency notes, early messages, discharge instructions, first follow-up | Separates symptoms reported immediately from those noticed or reported later. |
| Clinical assessment | Examination findings, test reports, referrals, and the clinician’s interpretation | A test result and a final diagnosis are different parts of the record. |
| Daily function | Dated examples of interrupted tasks and help actually needed | Shows the practical effect beyond a general symptom label. |
| Work or school changes | Written restrictions, attendance, modified duties, and accommodation records | Connects the claimed disruption to identifiable dates and responsibilities. |
| Course over time | Therapy progress, medication changes, later events, and updated recommendations | Helps explain recovery, setbacks, and changes in the treatment plan. |
Keep complete reports rather than only a screenshot of an abnormal result. Preserve the date, provider, reason for the assessment, and any follow-up recommendation. If a record appears inaccurate, raise the concern with the provider through its correction process; retain the original and any documented correction.
Let the evaluation address other possible causes
NIDCD explains that balance problems can involve the inner ear, brain, vision, medications, and other conditions. Evaluation may include hearing or balance testing and specialist referral. The appropriate assessment depends on the history and examination; a legal claim should not dictate a battery of tests.
Provide relevant records of similar symptoms before the crash and any later illness, injury, or medication change. Those facts help clinicians assess what changed. Omitting them can leave a misleading timeline even when the current difficulties are real.
If an office note describes normal walking, retain it alongside reports of difficulty elsewhere. Ask the treating clinician about the apparent difference. Neither the patient nor the claim writer should supply a medical explanation that the provider has not made.
Address safety before documentation
Call 911 or seek immediate emergency care for danger signs after a head injury, including a worsening headache that does not go away, repeated vomiting, seizure, weakness, slurred speech, increasing confusion, unequal pupils, or difficulty waking. These are among the CDC’s emergency warning signs.
For ongoing balance problems, ask the treating clinician about driving, fall prevention, and safe activity. NIDCD specifically recommends discussing these risks. Do not reproduce a fall or provoke an episode to create evidence. Written restrictions and observations from ordinary activities are more useful.
Connect the claim to the documented course
Our guide to proving a Louisiana TBI claim explains how event, medical, and functional records fit together. The article on post-concussion fatigue discusses another symptom that can affect daily activity.
Future care estimates should identify an actual recommendation and its expected duration. Ongoing symptoms alone do not establish a need for lifelong therapy. For a case review through the firm’s Louisiana brain injury practice, start with the incident date, treatment chronology, relevant prior history, and concrete examples of changed function.
Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana)
Sources checked: September 30, 2026
This article provides general information. It does not diagnose concussion or determine the cause of an individual’s dizziness. Persistent or changing symptoms need clinical evaluation.