When a Concussion Affects the Job: Documenting Work Limits in Polk County PI Cases
Polk County's workforce runs on warehouses, trucking, construction and long I-4 commutes. How a concussion can quietly change a client's ability to work, and which details make that easier to follow in the record.
Consider a hypothetical client. She is 44 and works the overnight shift at a distribution center off the Polk Parkway in Lakeland. Driving home on I-4 one morning, she is rear-ended in slowing traffic near the County Line Road exit. Her neck hurts, she is seen at an urgent care, and she goes back to work four days later.
By the third week, her supervisor has noticed. She is missing scan errors she used to catch, she has to reread pick lists, and the warehouse noise leaves her with a headache by the middle of every shift. She has started trading for shorter shifts.
Key takeaways
- Polk County recorded 12,755 crashes, 10,104 injuries and 1,968 commercial-vehicle crashes in 2024 (FLHSMV).
- In TRACK-TBI, 59% of working adults with mild TBI were not working at two weeks, and 17% were still not working at 12 months.
- Having three or more symptoms at three months was linked to lower odds of working at one year (73% vs 89%).
- Records that describe actual job duties and when symptoms first affected work are easier to follow.
Nothing in her early records mentions her head. This article looks at what research shows about concussion and work, and which details tend to make a client's work limits easier to follow. It is educational only and is not legal advice.
Polk County works, and drives, a lot
Florida's 2024 Traffic Crash Facts report counts 12,755 crashes, 10,104 injuries and 114 deaths in Polk County. The same report lists 1,968 crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in the county that year.
Those numbers reflect how the county lives. Polk sits on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, with heavy traffic on US-27, US-98, SR-60, US-17/92 and the Polk Parkway. Many residents commute long distances or drive for a living. Many others work in warehouses, logistics, construction, agriculture and manufacturing, where a lapse in attention can be a safety issue rather than an inconvenience.
What the research says about concussion and work
The largest U.S. study of patients seen in emergency departments for mild TBI is TRACK-TBI. Among 435 people who were working before their injury, 59% were not working two weeks later, and 17% were still not working at 12 months. More than one in five reported a drop in annual income (Gaudette et al., JAMA Network Open, 2022).
Symptoms mattered more than injury details. People with three or more post-concussion symptoms at three months were less likely to be working at a year than those with two or fewer, 73% versus 89%. People whose employers offered help early, such as reduced hours, a modified schedule or different tasks, were more likely to be working at six and 12 months.
A separate TRACK-TBI analysis found that about half of patients with mild TBI still reported some functional limitation a year after injury (Nelson et al., JAMA Neurology, 2019). "Mild" describes how the injury looked at the start, not how the next year goes.
"Mild" describes how the injury looked at the start, not how the next year at work goes.
Record details worth noticing
When Polk County files involving work problems are read closely, a few gaps come up often:
- No description of what the client actually does at work, such as machinery, driving, heights, screens or shift length.
- Work notes that say "light duty" or "off work" with no reason tied to symptoms.
- Neck and back findings documented in detail while concentration, memory, headaches, noise sensitivity and fatigue go unasked.
- No dates showing when symptoms first affected work, even when a supervisor or coworker noticed.
- No standardized, dated measure of brain function after the crash.
Florida's PIP statute, section 627.736, ties medical benefits to initial care within 14 days after a crash. Early care protects the person's health first. A clearer record follows from it.
Polk County is part of Florida's Tenth Judicial Circuit, along with Hardee and Highlands counties, so many local cases are filed in Bartow.
Where testing fits
Testing decisions belong to the client's treating provider, such as a primary care physician, chiropractor, orthopedist or pain physician. When that provider decides testing makes sense, Braintree's mobile team performs concussion and TBI testing at the provider's own office in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Davenport, Auburndale, Lake Wales and nearby communities. Scheduling is coordinated with the referring provider. Results are delivered as physician-reviewed diagnostic reports, giving the provider dated, standardized information to use alongside the clinical picture.
Learn more about concussion and TBI testing, see mobile testing in Polk County, or check recent local crashes on the Polk County Crash Map. Providers can send a referral.
Frequently asked questions
How long are people out of work after a concussion?
It varies. In the TRACK-TBI study, 59% of previously working adults with mild TBI were not working at two weeks, and 17% were still not working at 12 months.
Can a mild concussion cause lost wages?
It can. In the same study, more than one in five working adults with mild TBI reported a decline in annual income in the year after injury.
What helps people with a concussion return to work?
Ongoing follow-up with their provider and early employer help, such as reduced hours, a modified schedule or different tasks, were linked to better work outcomes in TRACK-TBI.
What should records show when a concussion affects a client's job?
The client's actual job duties, when symptoms first affected work, which symptoms get in the way, and any work restrictions tied to those symptoms by the treating provider.
Can Braintree test clients near Lakeland, Winter Haven or Bartow?
When the client's treating provider decides testing makes sense, Braintree's mobile team tests at that provider's office and returns physician-reviewed diagnostic reports. Scheduling is coordinated with the provider.
Sources
- Gaudette É et al. Employment and economic outcomes of participants with mild traumatic brain injury in the TRACK-TBI study. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(6):e2219444
- Nelson LD et al. Recovery after mild traumatic brain injury in patients presenting to US Level I trauma centers: a TRACK-TBI study. JAMA Neurol. 2019;76(9):1049-1059
- CDC: Symptoms of mild TBI and concussion (including danger signs)
- CDC: About mild TBI and concussion
- NIH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Traumatic brain injury
- FLHSMV: Florida Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report 2024
- Florida Statutes s. 627.736 (2026): Required personal injury protection benefits
- Florida Statutes s. 26.021 (2026): Judicial circuits
- Florida Department of Health: Florida trauma centers (updated July 23, 2026)
- Lakeland Regional Health, Lakeland
Photo credits: Polk County Courthouse, Bartow, by Georgia Guercio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Interstate 4 from the US-27 overpass, Davenport, by Andrew Heneen, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
This article is educational and is not medical or legal advice. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.
