For regular individuals and their families, brain injuries continue to be a major burden in terms of both their quality of life and their financial security. Too often, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) go undetected, which causes patients to suffer significant financial and quality-of-life losses. Those who seek medical attention rapidly learn that their health insurance may not pay for hospital fees and other expenses related to brain damage.
Traumatic Brain Injury: What Is It?
Numerous harsh strikes to the skull might cause a traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries may result from blunt force trauma from vehicle accidents or slips and falls as well as penetrating injuries like gunshot wounds. The severity of brain injuries varies widely, and some recover from them with just a few days of rest. However, moderate to severe TBIs have the potential to leave behind persistent, life-altering damage.
Although statistically, relatively young adult men are much more likely to sustain a TBI, our cherished seniors far too often trip and fall on slick floors, congested stairways, and other acts of carelessness. Candidates for brain injuries include men and women who are engaged in auto accidents, engage in sports or have slips and falls. Even newborns who are dropped unintentionally might suffer catastrophic brain damage that goes unnoticed. Knowing the various degrees of the disease is crucial to comprehending the enormous expense incurred by brain damage. Typically, they consist of the following.
Minor Concussion: Also known as an MTBI, mild concussions include an apparent transient loss of lucidity. People who have mild concussions experience wooziness, and confusion, or may even lose consciousness for up to 30 minutes. Additional testing and prompt treatment may be required if disorientation or memory loss lasts longer than 24 hours.
Moderate TBI: After taking a violent fall or receiving a hit to the head, victims of a moderate TBI may have a loss of consciousness that lasts longer than 30 minutes. Victims can need further testing, and they might have to miss work or school for up to a week.
Severe TBI: Victims of high-speed vehicle accidents, workplace mishaps, armed conflict, and premeditated violence are rendered unconscious for more than 24 hours. To determine the degree of the trauma and damage, this type of trauma often necessitates CT scans and brain MRIs. The expense of long-term therapy and care may prevent severe TBI victims from returning to work for an extended period.
A neurologist is often needed in TBI cases to do extensive tests, ascertain the degree of memory loss, assess motor skill functioning, and spot any negative effects on hearing or vision. People who have suffered a brain injury should expect to undergo several pricey examinations.
What Does A Traumatic Brain Injury Cost On Average?
The cost of traumatic brain damage is often quite debatable. Each accident presents a unique set of challenges, and healthcare expenses vary significantly across localities.
Cost-related research was published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Its analysis found that in-hospital healthcare costs per victim varied from $2,130 to $401,808 after taking into account more than 2,300 sources. The research also noted that hospital expenses vary depending on the severity of the TBI and the duration of the stay.
TBI expenditures are substantial and unequal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also calculated that the overall yearly cost of non-fatal TBI symptoms in the United States is more than $40.6 billion; the average cost of an emergency department visit is over $6,620; and the average number of missed workdays is 11, with a cost of over $1,600. Traumatic brain injury patients may not plan for additional costs that go beyond hospitalization.
After suffering a TBI, residents have three years to bring a personal injury case. Injured members of the community may also be entitled to compensation under state law, even if they contributed somewhat to the occurrence. Additionally, the state does not always limit damages, which is good news for those who may need costly long-term care and treatment.
Final thoughts
It’s critical to get in touch with a qualified personal injury law company right away if you or a loved one had brain damage. A Tacoma brain injury lawyer may examine the circumstances surrounding the occurrence, provide priceless legal counsel, and bring a civil action on your behalf.
