How Much Compensation Can You Get for a TBI?

Few injuries affect victims as profoundly and for as long as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Many people who suffer TBIs require both immediate and long-term medical care. Depending on the severity of their TBIs, victims may require rehabilitation, surgeries, and even around-the-clock care and supervision. In addition, TBIs often cause victims to experience changes in personality and cognition, as well as a decline in fine motor skills. Alone or combined, those problems can make it difficult or impossible for victims to work. That means no paychecks to support themselves and their loved ones. It also can negatively impact victims’ relationships with others. Because of this, victims of severe TBIs may be owed significant compensation.

What Are the Lifetime Costs of a TBI?

Like all injuries that have prolonged impacts on victims, the costs associated with a TBI can be enormous and depend on the severity of the injury and the victim’s age when it occurs. Factors that must be considered when determining the total cost of a TBI include:

• Current and future medical bills—TBIs can be medical emergencies, as they can cause brain swelling and bleeding, both of which can be fatal. Victims may require surgery to relieve pressure and to prevent additional damage from occurring. In addition to these one-time costs, TBIs can also result in lifetime costs. Victims often need frequent specialist visits, physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and even the assistance of live-in caregivers.
• Current and future lost wages—The effects of TBIs can make it extremely difficult for victims to work. Victims who are spared from cognitive and fine motor skills deficits may still experience physical symptoms that make it difficult to concentrate, while victims with more severe TBIs and complications may be unable to perform their jobs. And because TBIs frequently don’t heal, victims may be unable to work for the rest of their lives. In these cases, compensation is required for the salaries victims should have been able to but can no longer earn.
• Pain and suffering—TBIs can deeply affect victims’ quality of life. They may experience difficulties with everyday tasks, such as walking, eating, driving, and even getting dressed. In addition, the cognitive effects of TBIs can severely disrupt lifestyles, hobbies, interests, and time spent with family and friends, as victims may experience memory loss, personality changes, and impaired verbal fluency. Finally, victims often experience physical symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light, problems sleeping, and more.

It's clear that TBIs can have wide-ranging expenses due to their profound effects on victims, and experts agree. In 2015, a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine said that TBIs can have lifetime costs ranging from $85,000 to $3 million. Factors that go into determining the true lifetime cost of a TBI include length of unemployment after the injury and the costs of treatment, which are often high. Studies show that around 60 percent of adults who suffer TBIs are still unable to work two years after their injuries compared to the national average unemployment rate for accident victims of around 5 percent.

Our Lawyers Work Hard to Maximize TBI Victims’ Compensation

Regardless of whether victims’ lifetime TBI costs are on the low or high end, the costs associated are still far more than they should bear—especially when their injuries are caused by someone else’s negligence. At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, our Ohio traumatic brain injury lawyers have helped many TBI victims and their families get maximum compensation. We know how devastating TBIs can be for families. They affect every aspect of life, and they often rob individuals and families of promising careers, savings, dreams for the future, and even taking joy in small daily activities. When we take on TBI claims, we know how serious they are for the people who have been affected, and we do everything in our power to help those families get the outcomes they deserve. If you or someone you love suffered a TBI, contact us today at 216-621-2300 for a free consultation.

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