How a Traumatic Brain Injury Can Derail Your Future

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.4 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (also known as a TBI) each year. Of that total, approximately 50,000 victims do not survive due to the severity of the injury. TBI's have differing levels of severity (ranging from mild to severe), but even so-called mild brain injuries can have permanent, life-altering effects on the victim.

Common Causes of Brain Injuries

Studies have shown that falls are a leading cause of TBIs accounting for 28 percent. Car accidents are not far behind accounting for 20 percent of all TBIs. Also, motor vehicle accidents more frequently led to someone being hospitalized for a brain injury or head wound. Other causes of brain injuryies include workplace accidents (e.g., workign for a railroad and getting hit with an object or tool at a rail yard), medical malpractice, defective consumer products, or a danagerous prescription drug.

The Life-Altering Effects of a Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury can wreak havoc on a victim's emotional and physical well-being, but can also do severe damage to the brain itself. The injury may require years, if not decades, of special medical care and rehabilitation from care facilities (e.g., CareMeridian Las Vegas Nursing Home). The impairments from a brain injury include the following:

Speech
Vision
Coordination
Short term and long term memory
Mood swings
Behavioral changes

Cost of TBI Treatment

Treating, rehabilitating, and caring for people struggling with TBIs costs the United States roughly $30 billion each year. In fact, the lifetime costs, on average, for an individual with a TBI is between $85,000 and $3 million, and possibly more. The one-year cost of treating a mild TBI can range from $27,260 to $32,760 or more per case, accoridng to the Rand Corporation. For moderate to severe TBI, costs per case can escalate to between $268,900 and $408,520 or more. The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection, and Critical Care estimated that the direct medical cost for a severe TBI is $85,600 with a cost of $5,650 per day for hospitalization.

You may be thinking, "that is a lot of money, but I have health insurance." Well, even people with health insurance will likely encounter a massive set of medical bills. For example, a case study revealed that the direct costs to a TBI per patient for treatment was between $98,745 and $167,098.

And these are just the medical costs. This does not even factor in the lost income that could have been generated by the TBI victim, their pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and so forth.

Benefits of Hiring a Brain Injury Lawyer in Virginia or North Carolina

As you can see, when someone suffers a brain injury, the ramifications are extensive placing tremendous financial strain on the victim and their loved ones. If you or a family member suffered a brain injury in a preventable accident, you may be able to receive financial compensation for your harms and losses. This compensation can cover the medical and health care costs associated with the injury, along with the non-economic ramifications as well, including pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of the victim’s and/or family’s quality and enjoyment of life. A brain injury lawyer with our law firm can review your case to help you determine the best path forward.

Five Reasons to Contact Our Virginia & North Carolina Brain Injury Law Firm Today

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