Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are some of the toughest injuries for accident victims to recover from. Although some mild concussions might heal in a few months, moderate or severe TBIs can have lingering effects which last for years.
Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C, has sought financial compensation for many accident victims struggling with TBIs, and we encourage you to reach out either by phone or email as soon as you can. An Iowa personal injury lawyer can discuss what happened and how you are dealing with your injury. We have offices in both Iowa City and Waterloo, and we can travel to meet you, where circumstances allow.
Ongoing Physical Disabilities
Brain injuries require initial medical care, including medical monitoring and time in the hospital. TBI sufferers struggle with some of the following symptoms:
- Memory loss
- Coordination problems
- Loss of balance
- Difficulty walking
- Sleep disturbance
- Headaches
- Convulsions
- Nausea
- Vision problems
Unfortunately, not all traumatic brain injuries resolve in a few months, or even after a year. Instead, many victims are struggling for years later. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 57% of people who sustained a moderate or severe TBI still had lingering disabilities five years after the accident.
What’s more, 33% needed help with daily tasks, such as bathing or cooking. Paying for someone to come into the home each day adds to the medical expenses. Someone in a wheelchair could need their home remodeled so they can get inside the house and move around rooms.
Medical expenses continue for years with serious TBI injuries. More than 1 in 10 will end up in a nursing home within five years, which can cost more than $100,000 a year for a private room. Even those who can live at home will incur thousands of dollars in additional care to help them with lingering problems.
Unemployment
Many people were gainfully employed when they suffered a traumatic brain injury. An astounding 55% are still unemployed five years later after a moderate or more serious TBI.
Brain injury victims suffer this drop in income when they need more expensive medical care. This is a tough situation to be in, and accident victims should contact an attorney for assistance. We can fight to obtain financial compensation for lost wages as you recover. We might also seek loss of earning capacity damages, when a TBI permanently prevents you from returning to an old job.
Greater Risk of Develop Brain Disorders
A TBI victim’s brain undergoes changes in the months and years after injury. One study found that many victims experienced widespread progressive brain atrophy, meaning the white and gray matter shrunk for years after the initial injury.
Some studies have shown how multiple injuries can result in greater risk of age-related neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease or CTE. Alzheimer’s disease can devastate a family’s finances and require long-term care in a facility.
Increased Family Stress
A TBI puts immediate stress on most families, who suddenly need to adjust to potential loss of income and increased medical bills. They also must worry about not creating too much noise or stress on their loved one while they recover at home.
When problems persist for years, then families can feel as if they will never get back to normal. They could express resentment that finances remain tight. A spouse might complain about a loss of intimacy with their spouse. Children can resent having to tend full-time to an adult parent who can no longer handle even the most rudimentary tasks.
As we like to say, TBIs hit entire families, not individuals. Depending on the facts, a spouse could have a loss of consortium claim to bring against the defendant responsible for the brain injury. Contact Ball, Kirk & Holm to learn what legal claims you can bring.
How Compensation Can Help
Bringing a personal injury claim can bring a sense of satisfaction. By holding the defendant accountable for the accident, you reduce the risk someone else will suffer a TBI. Businesses should improve their safety, and even individual drivers can change their behavior.
A settlement has other, more direct impacts on our clients’ lives:
- Compensation can pay for medical bills and ongoing medical care, including at-home help or a long-term care facility. Someone who suffers a severe TBI could be institutionalized for the remainder of their life. Even less severe TBIs often require years of physical therapy or behavioral therapy. All of this care adds up.
- Economic damages covering lost income can reduce financial stress on a family. With long-lasting TBIs, we might also seek loss of future earnings. That money can replace what you probably would have earned had you not been injured.
- Compensation for any damaged property reduces the financial stress. Car repairs are incredibly expensive and only becoming more so as the years roll by. Getting the at-fault defendant to pay for repairs can help families who watch their bank accounts get depleted.
- Pain and suffering damages can provide a financial cushion for injured victims and their families. Of course, money cannot really compensate for the changes you have suffered due to a serious brain injury. But money can ease some of the stress.
Negotiating compensation is a challenge for anyone, but especially for those with moderate or severe brain injuries. You or a loved one might not feel like getting out of bed most days. Contact a seasoned personal injury attorney to handle the legal side of a case for you.
Our Iowa Personal Injury Lawyers Are Ready to Help
Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C. is the right firm for any family struggling with the aftershocks of a serious brain injury. We can negotiate for our clients and even file a lawsuit against the defendant, where necessary. A TBI is one of the most severe injuries a person can suffer. You are not alone so long as you have us in your corner. We are available 24/7 for our clients and will answer any legal questions you have about an injury claim.