Quick Answer
A normal CT scan after a collision is expected and does not mean no injury occurred, because concussion disrupts function rather than structure. Persistent symptoms are assessed at 7751 W. Flamingo Road, Suite A-100, Las Vegas NV 89147, where post-traumatic headache is treated as a headache disorder and dizziness assessed with objective balance testing.
Part ofThis guide sits beneath neurology after injury, which covers the study itself, how it is performed and what the report should contain.
how CNS handles medico-legal referrals →Key Takeaways
- A normal CT scan is expected after concussion and does not mean no injury occurred.
- Red flags need an emergency department immediately; persistent symptoms warrant assessment after a couple of weeks.
- Post-traumatic headache behaves as a headache disorder and is treatable rather than endurable.
- Positional vertigo after head impact is common and mechanically treatable, often in one visit.
- Keep dated notes of symptoms and functional impact from now, because frequency drives treatment.
Independent medical examination
An independent medical examination is an objective, documented neurological assessment requested for a legal or insurance matter rather than for treatment. Its purpose is to record findings accurately, not to advocate for either side.
What to do, and what a normal scan does not mean
Most people leaving an emergency department after a collision are told the scan was normal and given no follow-up. That is where the gap sits.
Why the scan being normal is expected
A computed tomography scan looks for bleeding and structural injury, which is exactly what it should do in the acute setting. Concussion is a disruption of function rather than visible damage, so a normal scan is the expected result and does not mean no injury occurred. Patients regularly interpret it as meaning their persistent symptoms are unexplained, which is an artefact of what the test measures rather than a comment on their symptoms.
When to seek neurological assessment
Straight away for red flags: worsening drowsiness, repeated vomiting, a seizure, worsening rather than settling headache, new weakness or difficulty speaking, or clear fluid from the nose or ear. Those need an emergency department. Anyone taking blood thinners needs assessment after any head injury regardless of how minor it seemed.
Otherwise, if symptoms persist beyond a couple of weeks, or if they are interfering with work, driving or study, that is the point at which assessment adds something. Waiting months is common and unhelpful, because the treatable components are treatable earlier as easily as later, and because a record started early is more useful than one reconstructed.
What is treatable rather than endurable
Post-traumatic headache, which is the most important point here. It is routinely treated as an inevitable consequence, and it behaves as a headache disorder, frequently with migraine features, responding to the same classification and preventive framework used for headache generally. Frequency rather than severity drives that, which is why a month of dates is worth bringing. Dizziness, where positional vertigo after head impact is common and mechanically treatable, frequently in the visit it is confirmed. Sleep disruption, which amplifies everything else. And neck-related nerve symptoms, where an electrodiagnostic study distinguishes a root problem from a peripheral one.
Keep your own record from now
Dated notes of symptoms, what you could not do, days missed from work, and what you took. That record serves your clinical care first, because frequency drives treatment decisions, and it happens to be the same record that documents impact for any other purpose.
| Also considered | How it is distinguished |
|---|---|
| Treating-physician care | Directed at the patient's treatment; a medico-legal examination is directed at documentation. |
| Imaging report | Describes structure; a neurological examination documents function and correlates the two. |
| Disability determination | An administrative decision made by others using clinical documentation as input. |
| Chiropractic or therapy notes | Record treatment response rather than neurological diagnosis and causation analysis. |
What the practice provides
01
What brings people in
An attorney or carrier requesting objective neurological documentation after an injury, or an injured adult needing evaluation.
02
What the evaluation settles
Which neurological findings are objectively present, whether electrodiagnostic testing supports them, and how findings relate to the reported mechanism.
03
What you leave with
A structured report suitable for the record, supported by in-office testing where indicated, with clinical care and medico-legal work kept clearly separate.
Assessment after the acute phase
The practice provides no emergency or inpatient care, so an acute injury goes to an emergency department. What happens here is assessment of persistent symptoms: characterising the headache, examining for vestibular and visual contributions, screening cognition, and separating what is treatable from what needs time.
Testing performed in-house
Objective balance testing at both offices, on the VNG page. Electrodiagnostic testing where nerve or root involvement is suspected. EEG where episodes have occurred, interpreted in-house. Imaging is coordinated externally, since no imaging suite is operated.
Documentation as part of care
Return-to-work and return-to-activity guidance, and the documentation employers and educational institutions require. That is a legitimate part of treatment rather than administration, because a note reflecting actual limitations is what prevents a premature return that sets recovery back.
What the practice does not do
No surgery, no interventional pain programme, no imaging suite, no emergency or inpatient care, and no rehabilitation therapies delivered on site. Adults 18 and older.
The first 30, 60 and 90 days
Step 1
First visit
History and neurological examination, a review of records and prior imaging, and a decision on which studies are actually indicated. You leave with the plan, not just a referral.
Step 2
Within 30 days
Indicated in-office studies are performed and interpreted by the neurologist who ordered them, in our AANEM-accredited laboratories. Results are explained in plain language.
Step 3
60 to 90 days
Follow-up to judge whether the plan is working, adjust it, and coordinate with your referring clinician. Where a diagnosis needs time to confirm, this is where it is revisited.
Attending from Las Vegas
The Las Vegas office is at 7751 W. Flamingo Road, Suite A-100, in Sunrise Medical Plaza, with parking on site. All six in-office studies are performed and interpreted there, so nothing is sent across to Henderson. If you are coming from Summerlin, Spring Valley or Enterprise this is almost always the shorter journey. Adults 18 and older.
Symptoms persisting after an accident?
Bring a month of dates and what you took. Post-traumatic headache is treated on frequency.
The Bottom Line
A normal scan does not mean no injury. And post-traumatic headache is treatable rather than something to endure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long after a car accident should I see a neurologist?
Immediately for red flags: worsening drowsiness, repeated vomiting, a seizure, worsening headache, new weakness or difficulty speaking. Otherwise, if symptoms persist beyond a couple of weeks or are interfering with work or driving, that is when assessment adds something. Bring the emergency department paperwork and any imaging from the day if you have it.
My CT scan was normal. Was I still injured?
Very possibly. A scan looks for bleeding and structural injury; concussion is a disruption of function rather than visible damage, so a normal scan is expected and does not mean no injury occurred. The distinction matters because a normal scan is frequently used to suggest nothing happened, which is not what it shows.
Do I need a brain scan after a car accident?
If red flags are present, the emergency department decides that and usually performs one. For persistent symptoms weeks later, a scan is frequently normal and adds little; what adds more is characterising the symptoms and treating the components that are treatable. Repeating a normal scan months later rarely changes management.
Is headache after an accident treatable?
Yes, and this is the most useful thing to know. Post-traumatic headache behaves as a headache disorder, frequently with migraine features, and responds to the same classification and preventive approach used for headache generally. It is frequently news to patients who were told only to rest and wait it out for months.
What does a neurologist do after a car accident?
Assesses persistent symptoms, characterises the headache, examines for vestibular and visual contributions, screens cognition, and separates what is treatable from what needs time. Objective balance and nerve testing are performed in-house where indicated. What is not treatable is documented as clearly as what is, because both matter to the record.
What should I record myself?
Dated notes of symptoms, what you could not do, days missed from work, and what you took. That record serves your clinical care first, because frequency drives treatment decisions. Keep it dated and contemporaneous rather than reconstructed later, because a record written as things happened carries considerably more weight than one assembled from memory.
Do you provide return-to-work documentation?
Yes, and it is a legitimate part of care. A note reflecting the actual limitations is what prevents a premature return that sets recovery back. A graded return specifying hours, screen time and driving is usually more useful than a blanket off-work note, and it is easier to extend if recovery is slower than expected.
Where exactly is the Las Vegas office?
7751 W. Flamingo Road, Suite A-100, Las Vegas NV 89147, in Sunrise Medical Plaza on the west side of the valley, with parking on site. All six in-office studies are performed and interpreted there, so nothing is referred across to the Henderson office. Summerlin, Spring Valley and Enterprise are generally closer to it than to Horizon Ridge Parkway.
Should I use the Las Vegas or the Henderson office?
Whichever is the shorter drive, since both are fully equipped and hold the same records. West Flamingo Road generally suits the west and southwest of the valley; West Horizon Ridge Parkway suits Green Valley, Anthem and Boulder City. If you can attend either, say so when booking, because availability differs between the two week to week.
What documentation is most useful to bring?
The emergency department paperwork, any imaging from the day and its report, records of treatment since, and your own dated notes of symptoms, days missed from work and what you could not do. Contemporaneous records carry considerably more weight than an account assembled later from memory. Bring your own dated notes as well as the clinical records.
How this page was sourced
Practice facts come from Clinical Neurology Specialists directly: two adult outpatient offices, all six diagnostic studies performed and interpreted in-house, electrodiagnostic laboratories holding AANEM accreditation independently, and no emergency, inpatient, surgical, imaging or rehabilitation service on site. Clinical context is sourced to the organisations listed below.
No prognosis, recovery timeline or case-related outcome is stated. Imaging decisions in the acute setting rest with the treating emergency service. No outcome is promised. Scope is adults 18 and older.
Change log
- 2026-07-28 — page published; clinical content reviewed.
- 2026-07-28 — last reviewed against AAN, AANEM and NINDS guidance; internal links and schema verified.
- Review cadence: quarterly, or sooner if guidance changes.
How to cite this page
Clinical Neurology Specialists. “Concussion doctor for car accident Las Vegas.” Reviewed 2026-07-28. https://www.cnsnevada.com/personal-injury/concussion-doctor-for-car-accident-las-vegas/
References
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke — the reference catalogue of nervous-system disorders.
- American Academy of Neurology — clinical practice guidance.
- American Headache Society — classification guidance for headache disorders including post-traumatic headache.
This page is for general information about a Clinical Neurology Specialists office and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. It does not create a physician-patient relationship. Adults 18 and older. For an active stroke, a first-time or prolonged seizure, sudden severe headache, sudden weakness, sudden vision loss, or a head injury with loss of consciousness, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.