Many injuries are mild. With timely medical care, the injured person can expect to make a full recovery. Broken bones are painful and debilitating, but they typically respond well to treatment.
Other injuries are more severe and could cause lasting medical complications for the affected individual. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are potentially catastrophic injuries. Moderate to severe TBIs can cause permanent damage to the structure of the brain that can affect everything from an individual’s personality to their sense of balance.
Not only do TBIs often produce permanent symptoms, but they can also have major financial implications. What economic consequences often result from an individual sustaining a TBI?
Increased lifetime medical expenses
Brain injuries generally require emergency trauma care. In more severe cases, people may need to undergo emergency surgery. Doctors may even leave them in a medically-induced coma to take pressure off of the body and brain as they heal.
Those with TBIs might require ongoing medical support that lasts for the rest of their lives. Experts estimate that the lifetime medical costs of a brain injury can range anywhere from $85,000 to more than $3 million.
Lost earning potential
Brain injuries can affect people in any profession. White-collar professionals may find that changes in their mood, personality or memory affect their job performance and income. They may no longer be able to pursue advancement opportunities or perform the same job tasks that they fulfilled before their injury.
Those in blue-collar or service sector professions may also find that cognitive issues could put them at risk or leave them incapable of fulfilling job functions. They may also be particularly susceptible to the physical side effects of a TBI.
Changes in fine motor function could impact job performance. Changes in equilibrium or gait while walking can affect safety and job performance as well. Those who experience reduced fine motor control may not be able to perform certain job tasks safely. In some cases, those with TBIs experience a permanent reduction in their earning potential. Other times, they may lose their income entirely because they cannot maintain a full-time job.
In many cases, the costs of a TBI go well beyond the amount of insurance available. The injured party may need to look into their eligibility for a personal injury lawsuit. Companies that produce defective products, drivers who cause crashes and those who physically assault other people could all have a degree of liability for TBI expenses.
Reviewing the situation that led to a brain injury can help an injured person and their family members pursue compensation to limit the economic harm of the TBI. Those who can accurately estimate the financial consequences of an injury may be able to use that information as they pursue compensation.
