The human brain is both incredibly powerful and very vulnerable. The tissue that makes up your brain is easy to injure through violent motions and blunt force trauma. Even penetrating injuries and percussive force can cause damage to the brain with lasting consequences.
Falls from a significant elevation, explosions and car crashes can all cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) with devastating financial consequences for the person affected and their immediate family members. What is the likely financial impact of a brain injury?
Tens of thousands of dollars in medical care costs
The most immediate expense associated with a brain injury is the cost of medical care. Some people dealing with the aftermath of a TBI make the mistake of thinking that the emergency care required after the injury will represent the majority of the expenses someone will incur.
However, TBIs, especially those that produce moderate or severe lasting symptoms, often necessitate ongoing medical support. The lifetime care costs for a moderate brain injury can be $85,000, often much more. When someone requires surgeries or life support, the cost of their medical treatment could easily be $3 million.
Years of lost or reduced wages
Brain injuries create different symptoms depending on the person who gets hurt and the location of the injury on the brain itself. Depending on someone’s profession and the severity of their injury, a brain injury might leave them unable to work or force them to change professions. The younger someone is and the bigger the impact of the injury on their annual income, the more compensation may be required to offset the impact of the TBI.
Other secondary expenses
There are numerous other costs a family may have to cover when someone suffers a TBI. In severe cases, the family may need to absorb not just the lost wages of the person injured but also the lost income that could have been earned by someone who leaves their job to serve as a caregiver. The family may need to purchase expensive medical equipment, make changes to their home or buy a specialized vehicle to allow for the safe transportation of a loved one in a wheelchair.
All of those costs can add up to far more than what insurance will pay. Having an understanding of what a brain injury will cost can help those looking into insurance claims and other forms of compensation.