This blog has previously discussed some of the serious types of harm brain injury victims injured in car accidents can suffer. Car accident victims should be familiar with the ways personal injury legal protections can help them with their losses and the costs associated with brain injuries.
The costs of brain injuries are high and may result in significant medical expenses, lost time away from work and wages and emotional harm as well. Estimates range from $85,000 for treatment of a mild head injury to $941,000 for treatment of a moderate brain injury and $3 million for treatment of a severe traumatic brain injury. The cost of caring for a survivor of a traumatic brain injury over their lifetime is estimated to be between $600,000 and $1.875 million.
Brain injuries do not only cost society in lost earnings, productivity and social services costs, they can cost families and victims. The symptoms of brain injuries can worsen over time and may not be fully evident to the victim or the victim’s family right after the accident. Because the impact of a brain injury can be long-lasting, and require long term treatment and care, the costs associated with brain injuries can be significant financially, physically and emotionally. The total cost of brain injuries in the U.S. is estimated at $48.3 billion annually and $31.7 of that amount is spent on hospitalization costs, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the cost of acute care and rehabilitation for brain injury victims ranges from $9 to $10 billion a year.
Because of the lingering effects of a brain injury, it is fundamentally important for brain injury victims to be aware of the personal injury legal protections available to them. A personal injury clam for damages against a negligent driver following a car accident can help car accident victims who have suffered traumatic brain injuries recover compensation for their physical, financial and emotional damages.