The Long-Term Costs of a Brain Injury
A brain injury is often a catastrophic injury. This is the legal term for an injury that will impact a victim for the foreseeable future – either weeks, months or for the rest of the victim’s life. The damage a traumatic brain injury can inflict on the tissues and nerves in the brain can lead to long-lasting symptoms even after the initial symptoms dissipate. For this reason, many brain injuries come with substantial long-term costs.
Ongoing Medical Care
A severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have many long-term health effects that require ongoing medical care. These symptoms can affect cognitive function, motor function, sensation, behavior and more. The medical costs alone for a victim living with a TBI can be overwhelming, even with health insurance coverage.
A victim with a major brain injury may suffer attention and memory deficits, motor function impairment, chronic pain and many other health issues that require continuous care. Required long-term medical treatments may include surgeries, hospital stays, medications, medical devices, tests, CT scans, physical therapy and live-in nursing care. A severe TBI may result in the costs of life support for a victim in a coma, as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lifetime economic cost of TBIs in the US is around $91.7 billion per year ($76.5 billion in 2010 dollars converted to 2021 dollars). This includes both direct and indirect medical costs. TBIs account for about 2.5 million emergency department visits annually.
Therapy and Rehabilitation
A patient with a severe TBI may have to pay for years of ongoing physical and emotional therapies, as well as rehabilitative treatments. Therapy and rehabilitation are often necessary due to how a traumatic brain injury disrupts brain function.
Consistent physical therapy can help a patient with a TBI regain some or all physical function and relearn ordinary tasks over time, while psychological therapy can help a patient cope with the emotional side of a TBI. The costs of these services, however, can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Disability Accommodations
If a brain injury temporarily or permanently disables a victim, he or she will need to factor in the costs of disability accommodations. These may include home or vehicle modifications to adapt to a physical disability, mobility-assistive devices such as a wheelchair, and expenses such as special education for a child with a debilitating TBI. The costs of disability accommodations can be immense depending on the specific case and factors such as the age of the victim at the time of injury.
Lost Capacity to Earn
If a brain injury causes a long-term disability that interferes with the victim’s ability to perform the essential functions of his or her job, the TBI could lead to long-term costs in the form of lost wages and lost future capacity to earn. Some TBI survivors can return to work in limited capacities for less pay. If the TBI inflicted permanent damage, however, the victim may never be able to work again. Lost income and productivity can cost a TBI victim $1 million or more over his or her lifetime.
Long-Term Noneconomic Costs
A severe brain injury will not only affect a victim financially. A TBI can also cause many long-term noneconomic losses, including physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological trauma, inconvenience, diminished enjoyment or quality of life, reduced self-esteem, and loss of consortium.
Personal injury law acknowledges these intangible losses in addition to tangible and economic damages. Pain and suffering can increase the value of a TBI settlement or judgment award. Discuss your brain injury case with a Lowell catastrophic injury lawyer today to find out how much it may be worth in long-term economic and noneconomic costs. A lawyer can help your family fight for the financial recovery you deserve.