Update on Traumatic Brain Injury Part 3

I’m David Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

As mentioned in our last Podcast, developments are rapidly being made in the medical field on how to classify and treat traumatic brain injury or TBI. In the previous two Episodes, we discussed a new effort by leading physicians in the USA to better diagnose and better categorize the symptoms and functional deficits associated with TBI. We discussed how a new diagnostic tool, called the 7 Tesla MRI, allows doctors to go where no doctor has gone before in diagnosing and treating TBI.

In this episode, we focus on how these developments can be significant to litigation issues.

As mentioned, many TBI injuries can now be objectively documented. This allows a lawyer to display a brain scan image to a jury to show the impact of brain trauma. The reality is, though, few people can afford access to advanced care and treatment.

Regrettably, many health insurance providers may refuse to authorize a patient to be seen and evaluated at the Mayo Clinic. Without health insurance coverage, treatment can rapidly become unaffordable.

Also, TBI victims are notorious for having difficulty following up with their care. The brain injury itself adversely impacts a person’s willpower to drag themselves to a therapy center for care. Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand with brain injuries. Sensitivity to light and sound makes the injured person want to retreat and never get out of bed.

Neuropsychologists trained to deal with brain injuries frequently are 5 to 10 years behind in their treatment modalities.

TBI patients, especially those trapped in Veteran Administration medical care treatment systems, find their conditions deteriorating.

We have found that it is helpful to enlist a family member to work with our TBI clients. We have books, articles, and other resources to give our clients and their family members to help them get the treatment they need and deserve. These resources can be invaluable.

A broken arm or leg can be placed in a cast. With a few weeks’ rest, the bone fracture will heal. Brain injuries often take years to heal. The sooner the patient gets the correct treatment, the faster the patient will recover.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, a product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”