Catastrophic injuries carry staggering price tags. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can generate tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Those costs alone can leave injured people and their families struggling to secure adequate compensation.
However, when combined with the lost wages and reduced earning potential caused by the brain injury, those expenses may make a personal injury lawsuit necessary. People with TBIs often face career setbacks that can reduce their earning capacity.
Why do brain injuries affect earning potential?
Moderate to severe TBIs actually cause permanent structural changes to the brain. Bleeding, swelling or trauma to the brain changes how the brain functions, which may produce a variety of debilitating, permanent symptoms.
There is no treatment that can reverse the damage caused by a serious TBI. A TBI can affect a person’s cognitive capabilities, including their memory, their decision-making capabilities and even their personality. Additionally, brain injuries can affect motor function, causing issues with balance or challenges with fine motor control.
Some people even experience sensory disruptions, such as blurry vision and ringing in their ears. Any of those symptoms could affect a professional’s ability to perform a job effectively. They are at risk of losing their job.
They may also have a harder time pursuing new positions with other employers or advancement opportunities because of their permanent functional limitations. In the worst cases, people may not be able to return to work at all after sustaining a TBI.
People with brain injuries and their close family members may need help pursuing compensation for this devastating, catastrophic injury. If insurance isn’t enough to protect people from their losses, litigation can potentially help to address the financial impact of a TBI.