EXAMINING THE COSTS AND EFFECTS OF A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

British Columbia residents may be interested in some information on the subject of brain injuries. Due to the personal and financial costs associated with the injuries, they can have serious effects on a person’s life.

Thousands of cases of traumatic brain injury are recorded in Canada every year, with the majority of those incidents affecting young adults. Any number of activities, such as sports, riding a bicycle or a car accident, can cause brain injury. Although it is now easier to survive such accidents than it was in the past, the cost of treatment and rehabilitation is very high. The effects of these injuries can vary depending on the person, but they often include amnesia, myopic thinking and difficulty with reasoning. Physical symptoms can include vision loss, hearing loss and paralysis. There can also be emotional effects, such as a difficult to control one’s emotions after the accident.

Treatment of a traumatic brain injury can require various types of therapy and long-term care. This can include behavioural therapy to help with societal readjustment, vocational rehabilitation to assist with getting the injured party back to work and cognitive therapy to help heal or adjust to the thinking-related effects of the injury. There may also be ongoing treatment required for depression, which is a common condition after a brain injury due to the person’s post-injury dependence on others.

In cases where a traumatic brain injury was caused by the negligence of another party, the at-fault individual may be responsible for expenses related to long-term care and other costs associated with the injury. A lawyer may be able to help those who have been injured by evaluating the actions of the allegedly at-fault party. The lawyer may then be able to bring a lawsuit in civil court to recover these personal injury damages.

Source: Brain Injury Association of Canada , “What is Brain Injury?”, August 28, 2014