The symptoms of a brain injury vary drastically. Some people have a sudden change in personality, while others may develop challenges with their sense of balance or sensory perception. Brain injuries usually do not leave visible physical scars and manifest in such vastly different ways from case to case that people do not always treat them with the respect that they deserve.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a car crash could forever change the course of someone’s life. It could also potentially trigger lasting financial hardship due to numerous related challenges.
Significant lifetime medical costs
Someone with a moderate to severe brain injury may require immediate emergency care after they get hurt. Even those with delayed-onset symptoms may require surgery and rehabilitative support. The care required varies drastically from case to case and often lasts for the rest of someone’s life. Medical treatment for a TBI could cost anywhere from $85,000 to more than $3 million.
Lost earning potential
Brain injuries can negatively affect the careers of individuals in many different professions. They can affect the fine motor skills and equilibrium of those in blue-collar professions, keeping them from commanding premium wages. They could affect the personality or memory of those in white-collar professions, keeping them from continuing the same career or possibly even forcing them into early retirement. People with brain injuries that produce lasting symptoms often need to change professions or retire early because of their injuries.
The cost of accommodations
Brain injuries can leave people dependent on mobility assistance devices like wheelchairs or crutches. They may cause a host of different functional limitations that require accommodations. People may need to remodel their homes or obtain assistive technology to help them complete daily functions. The cost of those remodeling projects and pieces of specialized equipment can be many thousands of dollars.
The combination of lost wages, medical care costs and support needs can add up to financial losses that far exceed the car insurance available after a crash. Pursuing a personal injury lawsuit may be one of the only ways for people to fully recover the financial impact of a TBI after a wreck caused by another’s actions or inactions.