According to the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, brain injury is the most common cause of death and disability in children. Helmets, seatbelts, car seats, and pedestrian safety are the best prevention for children’s brain injuries, however, Brain Injury Attorneys know that brain injuries can and do happen at any age.
Falls are a common cause of brain injuries, especially in the elderly and people who work in dangerous jobs such as the construction industry. Motor Vehicle Accidents are also a common cause of brain injuries especially when motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists are involved in those accidents. Children and adults alike suffer from brain injuries while playing sports, especially contact sports like football and hockey.
Expense of a Brain Injury
The cost of a brain injury can be massive, especially when brain injuries are severe. Some costs associated with brain injury include the following:
- Medical care – Brain injuries may require hospitalization, rehabilitation, recovery at an inpatient facility, follow up medical appointments, and at home care.
- Mental healthcare – Traumatic brain injuries frequently lead to mental health conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and sometimes suicidal contemplations. These conditions may be overcome with the right treatment, but mental health treatment is expensive and so are the prescription medicines that are sometimes necessary. Taking care of mental health after a brain injury is just as important as the physical recovery.
- Employment – The ability to work after a brain injury can be compromised, sometimes for the short term and sometimes for the long term. Some people are unable to return to their prior employment, but they are able to return to work in a different field and capacity. Unfortunately, when a brain injury prevents people from returning to their prior job, their earning capacity is often reduced.
Financial Recovery for a Brain Injury
When you combine the costs of brain injury treatment, recovery, mental healthcare, and loss of earning capacity, the cost of a brain injury can be staggering. For many brain injury sufferers, their injuries were caused by someone else’s fault. When someone suffers a brain injury in an accident such as a motor vehicle accident, nursing home fall, pedestrian accident, or bicycle accident, the person whose negligence or recklessness caused the accident is typically responsible for resulting injuries and damages.
Insurance Companies
Brain injuries can be incredibly complicated and their full effects are often not learned until a period of time has passed after the initial injury. Because of this, it is recommended that injured plaintiffs do not speak with or settle with an insurance company until he or she has first consulted a brain injury attorney.
If you or a loved has suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s fault, contact a Lawrenceville Brain Injury Attorney at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. to discuss your accident and injuries sustained. Our experienced brain injury attorneys understand how devastating brain injuries and the collateral consequences can be and they are committed to seeing that their brain injury clients are fully and fairly compensated.