A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to years – if not decades – of debilitation. Even a moderate TBI often results in extensive rehabilitation, as well as the need for special accommodations in the home. This, of course, can lead to expenses that can devastate a victim’s finances.
If you or someone close to you suffered a TBI due to the negligence of someone else, you may be able to pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys with The Eberst Law Firm have extensive experience in this area of the law, as well as a long track record of success. We may be able to help you obtain the money needed to pay for treatment and any other needs.
Please get in touch with us for a free consultation. You can use our online form, or you can call 888-CALL-JON.
What Causes TBI?
As the name implies, a TBI is a type of brain injury that results from some sort of outside force. It can occur when the head strikes something suddenly and violently, such as a car windshield. A TBI can also happen when something pierces the head and damages brain tissue. One of the main causes of TBI is a slip and fall incident. Slip and fall accidents alone account for more than 1 million TBIs each year.
Types of Expenses Incurred Because of a TBI
Whether you were struck by a car because someone negligently failed to look up from their phone, or you were the victim of a trucking accident caused by an inattentive driver, you may be able to obtain compensation for the costs related to your injury. The following section covers just some of the different kinds of expenses that can arise from a TBI.
Medical Expenses
If you take legal action against the party or parties responsible for the TBI, the lion’s share of your claim will be based on medical bills. This includes an emergency room or hospital stay, lab tests, prescriptions, MRIs or other imaging tests, and much more.
These bills can get incredibly high, easily reaching into the tens – or hundreds – of thousands of dollars, depending on the severity of the injury. In addition to treating the injury itself, treatment is often needed for the complications that can arise from a TBI. These include the following:
- Vision issues – Someone with a TBI may have a hard time recognizing objects because their brain can’t properly register an image. They may also have difficulty with hand-eye coordination, and may drop things on a regular basis, or bump into walls.
- Other sensory deficits – A TBI victim may also be prone to other problems affecting the senses. They may, for instance, have difficulty smelling, tasting or hearing. Tinnitus, a roaring or ringing sensation in the ears, may also occur. Some people will even have problems with their sense of touch, and also develop itching or tingling of the skin.
- Language and communication issues – TBIs can also lead to issues with communication. Aphasia, a condition characterized by trouble speaking or writing, may be one complication. When a TBI victim develops motor aphasia, they will have problems using complete sentences. They may pause frequently while speaking, and may often use broken phrases.
Emotional Expenses
There are other, less tangible expenses that will need to be factored into a personal injury lawsuit. A TBI not only results in physical problems, but emotional issues as well. The brain is an incredibly sensitive organ, one that controls the body’s emotions. This kind of injury results in a lot of changes, and can also cause a great deal of stress.
TBIs can lead to issues such as depression as well as a loss of cognitive skills. People can also experience mood swings, and their relationships can suffer as a result. A TBI can lead to a devastating chain of events that can ruin a victim’s life. An experienced attorney will take all of these factors into account when determining the amount of compensation he or she will seek on behalf of a client who has suffered a TBI.
Other Expenses
A person suffering a TBI may also not be able to continue their employment, and suffer a loss of earning capacity as a result. Brain injuries can cause a loss of focus, which can obviously interfere with just about any kind of job. It can also lead to memory loss, fatigue, anger management issues and more. Any one of these problems could make it almost impossible for someone to be able to keep a job.
If you have a TBI, you may have to take a lower paying job, or you might have to retire sooner than you planned. The resulting economic loss could easily reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What is the Typical Lifetime Cost of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
The costs associated with a TBI can be astronomical. Even a mild TBI could cost nearly $90,000, while a severe injury could cost $3 million or more.
Hire a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney to Boost Your Chances of Receiving a High Settlement
In order to have the best chance of obtaining the compensation needed to pay for all the expenses associated with a TBI, you’ll need a skilled, experienced attorney. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the incident that led to the injury, you could receive the following types of compensation:
- Economic damages – These are quantifiable expenses, such as medical bills, lost wages, physical and/or mental rehabilitation, quality of life accommodations, and more.
- Non-economic damages – These are subjective expenses, such as pain and suffering, emotional issues caused by the injury, potential loss of companionship, and others.
- Punitive damages – Punitive damages are rare, but they are possible. These are damages awarded to a victim in order to punish those responsible for the injury. The purpose is to dissuade the negligent parties from ever acting that way again. Punitive damages tend to be awarded for particularly egregious negligence, such as drag racing, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
At The Eberst Law Firm, we have helped many clients obtain the compensation they needed to pay for all of the expenses incurred after suffering a TBI. We welcome the opportunity to do the same for you. Contact us online or call 888-CALL-JON for a free case review.
