According to a new study, sufferers of traumatic brain injuries face a 20 percent re-hospitalization risk within the first one to three years after the initial injury. The study was conducted by the Brain Injury Association of America. Researchers reviewed 655 cases of traumatic brain injury and interviewed sufferers, caretakers, family members and medical providers.
Chicago personal injury lawyer Howard Ankin says the findings aren’t surprising. “Traumatic brain injuries can have a lifetime of consequences. From ongoing medical treatment to endless rehabilitation to a chronic inability to work, a traumatic brain injury leaves a destructive trail,” he said.
Researchers found that the re-hospitalizations after traumatic brain injury generally fall into two camps: elective and non-elective. Examples of elective re-hospitalizations include reconstructive surgeries and preventative care. Non-elective is primarily for conditions like seizures, mental disorders, and infections.
In the first year after the injury, researchers found that re-hospitalizations were evenly split between elective and non-elective treatments. In subsequent years, elective re-hospitalizations tend to taper off in favor of non-elective treatments.
“That’s the typical path for a brain injury patient,” said Mr. Ankin, owner and partner at Ankin Law. “That’s why it’s so important that the patient and his or her family get the compensation and support they need. Brain injury sufferers can still live full and productive lives, but it can sometimes be a costly endeavor.”
Depending on the cause of the injury, compensation may or may not be available. If the injury was the result of a workplace injury or a car accident caused by another person’s negligence, then the victim may be entitled to a recovery from the other party.
Mr. Ankin said he and his team work with brain injury patients to get financial, medical, and rehabilitative support as soon as possible. “It’s tough for any family to adjust to a serious injury. A traumatic brain injury, though, is among the most challenging to handle,” he said.