Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is more common than you think. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates around 138 Americans die from TBI every day. The most important, yet sometimes overlooked, fact about TBI is that the long term effects of the initial trauma could last for as long as the person lives. The chances of recovery depend on numerous factors, but in many cases, the life of a person with TBI would never be the same.
Seeking Just Compensation For Trauma in the Hands of Another
When your loved one is suffering from the effects of an accident or a violent act in the hands of another, you’d want to find the best brain injury lawyer Los Angeles can offer.
In head injury cases, the victim may avail of general and special damages. General damages are non-economic losses that are roughly substituted by monetary compensation. While it is difficult to set an amount against mental anguish, physical suffering, emotional distress, and humiliation, a court of law determines the worth of these losses. Meanwhile, special damages are paid to cover economic losses comparable to what the victim has lost in wages. This also includes medical expenses and property damages.
The Chronic Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury
It can give you and your loved one comfort and peace of mind knowing the case you are fighting for is in the hands of a brilliant legal team. However, it is also prudent to learn about the devastating consequences of injury to the control center of the human body.
Prolonged motor, sensory, and cognitive deficits may be the most obvious issues, but there are times when additional problems arise in the future. Doctors do their best to explain to families of victims the progressive nature of TBI and the potential for developing issues as determined by the location, type, and severity of the physical blow to the brain and spinal cord.
Some health professions emphasize the importance of a shift in perspective—that is, to conceptualize TBI as a chronic health issue. While improvements may occur with a vigorous management approach involving medical-surgical and rehabilitation teams, the overall functional outcomes are dire and even point to evidence of deterioration many years after the traumatic event. In addition, persons with TBI are at a higher risk than the rest of the population to develop neurodegenerative diseases and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, present with epilepsy or suffer from a cerebrovascular accident or stroke.
What can you do to best take care of your loved one and ensure their well-being and happiness?
It is important to fill our gaps in understanding of the lifelong consequences following TBI. Survivors of the initial trauma may be facing chronic disability or lifelong palliative care. Family members and caregivers need to be informed on health management priorities. While you are making sure you are on the winning side of the legal battle for justice, it is also important to gain a deeper understanding of the cognitive, physical, emotional, and psychosocial issues characterizing the daily life of survivors of TBI.