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Brain Injury FAQs
Brain injuries can have a major impact on a person’s life. Even a minor brain injury can take months to recover from. More serious injuries can leave a victim with chronic and life-long medical issues that affect their overall quality of life. When that injury was caused by the negligence or recklessness of another party, victims have the legal right to pursue damages for all of the losses the injury has caused.
What are the categories of brain injuries?
A brain injury is any injury that causes a disruption in the ability to function properly. There are three types of brain injuries a victim may suffer.
Mild brain injury – A mild brain injury is one where the victim had no loss of consciousness or did but it was very brief. When the injury occurs, they may have moments of being dazed or feeling confused. Symptoms of mild brain injuries include depression, fatigue, headaches, irritability, memory issues, and sleep problems. These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days or last for extended periods of time.
Moderate brain injury – In a moderate brain injury, the victim does lose consciousness, at a minimum of a few minutes up to several hours. There is often confusion that can last for weeks. The victim may also struggle for months with behavior issues, physical issues, and cognitive issues that can last for months. In some cases, these issues become permanent.
Severe brain injury – When a victim suffers a severe brain injury, they are unconscious for extended periods of time. Although a victim who suffers a severe brain injury may have some improvements in their symptoms, they are often left with significant permanent disabilities.
What are the most common causes of brain injuries?
There are several different types of accidents that frequently cause brain injuries. These include:
- Vehicle accidents
- Slip and fall or other premises liability accidents
- Work injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
What are the life-altering impacts that brain injuries can have on their victim?
As mentioned above, even a minor brain injury can affect a victim for months following the incident. The more serious the injury, the more severe the impact. Recovery from brain injuries can take months or even years. This recovery often requires rehabilitative care that can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Many victims end up living with chronic or permanent disabilities that impact their coordination, memory, speech, and vision, and can impact behavior and personality.
What are the costs of brain injury treatments?
The costs of treatment for brain injuries can be astronomical. It is estimated that the total cost of brain injury treatment each year in the United States is more than $30 billion.
The lifetime costs of a victim who has suffered a serious brain injury are estimated to be between $85,000 to $3 million. Just one year of treatments for a mild brain injury averages more than $30,000. If a victim suffers a moderate injury or severe injury, the annual medical costs can be anywhere between $250,000 and $400,000 or more. The cost of hospitalization for a severe brain injury victim is estimated to be more than $5,500 per day.
The above costs are just for the victim’s medical care. It does not factor in the loss of income, pain and suffering, mental trauma, and loss of life enjoyment. If the injury was the result of the negligence or recklessness of another party, a brain injury lawyer can help victims get the financial compensation to cover all of these losses.