Traumatic brain injuries can have life-long consequences so it is important to seek long-term compensation
According to a new study recently published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, traumatic brain injuries are linked with an increased risk for premature death—but not for the reasons you might think. It is apparently not the physical trauma itself so much as the psychological trauma involved in coping with the life-long consequences of the injury that can cause an increased risk for premature death, particularly in the form of suicide.
The study, which was conducted by doctors at the University of Oxford in the UK, was based on traumatic brain injury patients diagnosed in Sweden between 1969 and 2009. In particular, the study focused on patients who survived at least six months after the injury. Researchers found that these patients had an increased risk of premature death as compared to the general population and as compared to their uninjured siblings.
What is especially interesting is that the patients’ risk of death from external causes including suicide, injury, and assault was higher than normal. Patients with prior histories of psychiatric problems or substance abuse issues were at even higher risk than other brain injury victims. These patients accounted for 61 percent of the total number of premature deaths among traumatic brain injury patients in the study. This highlights the fact that the damage inflicted by a traumatic brain injury goes far beyond the physical, influencing psychiatric factors that have a huge impact on quality of life, and, as it turns out, length of life.
Consider All Long-Term Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. However, because the long-term effects of a brain injury can be difficult to quantify, you must proceed carefully before accepting any kind of settlement. Do not simply accept whatever offer the insurance company provides, even if it seems to cover your current medical bills. There will almost certainly be further expenses down the line. Here are some big long-term expenses to consider:
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Nursing care
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Physical therapy
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Future operations or hospital stays
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Adaptive devices such as wheelchairs
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Modifications to your home or car to accommodate reduced mobility or motor function
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Reduced earning capacity due to physical disability and/or reduced cognitive function
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Treatment for emotional issues such as depression, anger, irritability, etc.
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Loss of consortium for your partner and other expenses associated with premature death
Get Help from a Skilled Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
An expert brain injury attorney such as Fernando D. Vargas can connect you with the expert physicians and psychiatrists needed to establish the extent of your suffering and the scope of deserved damages. You can rely on Fernando D. Vargas to do everything in his power to help you exercise your rights under the law and secure full and fair compensation.
