The High Cost of Head Injury

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur in the United States each year. Head injuries are costly.  A mild injury costs on the average $85,000 for treatment and rehabilitation. A more serious injury can cost close to $2 million over the lifetime of the survivor. TBI is caused by a blow to the head, and can occur during a traffic accident, sports injury, fall or assault. The causes of many head injury cases remain unknown, as head injuries often cause amnesia.

When an accident victim sustains a head injury, a process of assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation begins. Timely recognition of head injury by emergency medical personnel and physicians is key in early management of brain trauma. Misdiagnosis of TBI or incorrect diagnosis of concussion can lead to long-term impairment while the brain swells in the hours and days after an injury. Traumatic brain injury can cause serious impairment primarily in these three areas:

• Physical – some patients lose the ability to write, walk, speak or perform a variety of fine and gross motor skills.
• Cognitive – some head injury patients suffer memory loss, trouble with language recall, loss of ability to reason and think logically and difficulty with language comprehension.
• Psychological – some patients suffer from depression, anxiety, aggression or changes in personality.

The cost of re-learning basic skills, such as speaking, writing, eating and driving can be overwhelming. If you or someone you love has suffered a head injury during an accident, speak to a personal injury attorney. You might be able to receive monetary compensation to pay for the cost of rehabilitation for the injury. Call the Palm Harbor Law Office of Paul B. Genet, P.A. at 727-510-8802 or contact us online.