Personal Injury | June 25, 2025 by JOSHUA D. ANDERSON

Memory Loss After a Car Accident

A car accident can cause all kinds of injuries, including memory loss. While some types of memory loss are mild and resolve on their own, not everyone makes a full recovery. And when that happens, the injury impacts more than just the victim. Family members may need to step in or hire outside help to assist their loved one navigate their new reality.

If you or a loved one has suffered memory losses related to a car accident, you can recover compensation for the injury.

What Kind of Memory Loss Can Happen After a Car Accident?

Memory loss, also known as amnesia, is when you can’t remember the things you used to be able to remember. Some memory loss is normal with age, but memory loss after a car accident is more serious, indicating that the different parts of your brain that retrieve and form memories aren’t connecting correctly.

Most memory loss after a car accident is acute, meaning it happens suddenly and immediately after the car accident and is usually caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). To be clear, “traumatic brain injury” doesn’t mean you’ve suffered catastrophic brain damage. Traumatic brain injuries sustained in a car accident are often mild and resolve on their own without causing long-term memory loss or brain damage.

There are three common types of memory loss you may experience after a car accident.

Short-Term Memory Loss

Short-term memories are the things you just learned. They’re stored in your brain temporarily so you can access the information quickly, but for a limited amount of time, about 15 to 30 seconds. For example, if someone gives you their phone number, your short-term memory holds on to that information just long enough for you to transfer it to your phone or write it down. Once you’ve done that, you can either forget the information or turn it into a long-term memory by memorizing it.

These kinds of memories are stored in your prefrontal cortex, an area of your brain that’s right behind your forehead, making it susceptible to injury from the airbag or hitting your forehead on the steering wheel or even the review mirror. It’s quite common for car accident victims to be unable to remember details of the car accident because this part of the brain is injured — even mildly — and they’re never able to recover that specific memory.

Some short-term memory loss after a car accident is normal. It can also be called anterograde amnesia and generally resolves without medical treatment. However, when your short-term memory doesn’t recover, you lose the ability to create short-term memories, making it difficult to remember recent events and information. Over time, this cognitive decline impacts your ability to form new memories and create long-term memories.

Long-Term Memory Loss

Long-term memories are the things you’ve learned and experienced over the course of your life. It’s how you’re able to remember things from when you were five, why you can answer trivia questions, and helps you perform your job.

While there are many types of long-term memories, they’re all stored in your temporal lobes. There’s a temporal lobe on each side of your head, and car accident injuries, like whiplash or hitting your head on the side window, can damage your temporal lobes, resulting in long-term memory loss after a car accident.

Unlike short-term memory loss, long-term memory loss can cause you to forget the things you already know. It’s also known as retrograde amnesia and can cause you to forget common words or mix things up, like calling a cat a dog. Long-term memory loss after a car accident is unlikely to improve, which can also make it difficult to perform familiar tasks you’ve been doing most of your life, like making toast or shaving.

Post-Traumatic Amnesia

Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) can be retrograde amnesia or anterograde amnesia. Like other forms of memory loss after a car accident, someone suffers a TBI. However, the defining feature of PTA is that in the immediate aftermath of the event, the victim is also confused and disoriented. And, unlike short-term memory loss, PTA can also block out the time before and after the accident.

For example, a driver who suffers PTA after a car accident may not be able to recall the events leading up to the accident, the accident itself, or things that happened after the accident, like talking to the police, the EMTs, or being taken to the hospital.

What Are the Symptoms of Memory Loss After a Car Accident?

Short-term memory loss and long-term memory loss after a car accident are different but share some overlapping symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of both types of memory loss are:

• Repeatedly asking the same questions
• Difficulty concentrating
• Taking longer to finish familiar tasks
• Placing items in odd places
• Inability to recall events that happened recently
• Getting lost while walking or driving in a familiar location
• Mood swings and behavior changes without a clear cause or reason

Experiencing some or all of these symptoms after a car accident may be normal, but it’s important to consult with a doctor immediately after the accident, especially if you’ve suffered a head injury, to rule out more serious injury or trauma.

Types of Compensation for Memory Loss After a Car Accident

Washington State allows people to pursue two types of compensation after a car crash: economic damages (your direct costs and losses) and noneconomic damages. 

Medical Bills and Expenses

You likely received medical care immediately following the accident and the associated bills. You’re entitled to pursue compensation for those medical bills to reimburse you for those expenses. However, you can also pursue compensation for any future bills you may receive for the future medical care or medical treatment you may need as a result of any diminished cognitive function due to memory loss.

Lost Wages

You may have missed a few days (or more) of work due to the accident, and you can pursue compensation for those missed days, whether you had and used your paid time off or you weren’t paid for those days.

Like future medical expenses, you can also recover future lost wages, which is particularly important when you have memory loss from your car accident. The inability to perform your job — or any other job — impacts your ability to earn a living, pay your bills, and even retire.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering are the noneconomic damages you can be compensated for after a car accident. The inability to keep and form memories is a traumatic event that impacts your life in unexpected ways. You may feel more anxious, stressed, or even depressed, which can change how you behave and react, in turn impacting your relationships and overall well-being.

Additional Expenses

Depending on the severity of your car accident memory loss, you may need additional support to help you with daily tasks. You may need to hire in-home aides to help care for you or modify your home to accommodate your new needs.

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

Even if the car accident wasn’t your fault, you may want to consider hiring a personal injury attorney. Their knowledge and expertise can help you navigate the complexities of the law and deal with the insurance company. A lawyer can help you recover the fair compensation you need to cover your medical costs for present and future care and your pain and suffering.
The experienced legal team at Anderson Law Injury Attorneys has over 50 years of combined legal experience. They’re on your side and will protect your legal rights while fighting for the fair compensation you need when you’re experiencing memory loss. Contact us today for a free consultation. There’s no fee unless you win.

The information contained on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Nothing in this website establishes an attorney-client relationship between us. Different facts can dramatically affect a legal opinion. You should consult an attorney for legal advice that pertains to your personal situation.