THE ROAD TO RECOVERY AFTER A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Gabrielle Giffords, the U.S. Congresswoman who suffered a near-fatal brain injury when a gunman opened fire on her and a group of supporters outside of a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket last January, recently sat down with Diana Sawyer of ABC News. Ms. Giffords suffered a left-side brain injury and has been diagnosed with a condition called aphasia, or an inability to talk or write in well-formulated sentences. Many individuals who suffer from traumatic brain injury also suffer from aphasia.
Left-side brain injuries, like Gabrielle Giffords' brain injury, tend to affect vital functioning, such as vision, language, and the ability to move the right side of the body. As a result, extensive rehabilitation must be endured to retrain the injured brain.
While all brain injuries differ in one form or another, one thing remains constant among all brain injuries: the struggle to regain abilities and resume an enjoyable quality of life. The process may be long and slow with daily struggles ranging from relearning how to speak to relearning how to walk. Many forms of long term rehabilitation must be employed, including physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological therapy, among others. Cognitive rehabilitation is essential as well. Thanks to Congresswoman Giffords, many are now beginning to appreciate the significance of many forms of rehabilitation for those suffering traumatic brain injuries. (Coincidentally, doctors attribute the success Gifford's recovery to music therapy as well.) Hopefully, insurance companies will cover these services when needed.
According to the Center for Disease Control, each year, approximately 1.7 million people in the U.S. suffer traumatic brain injuries. Roughly 52,000 people die as a result of their injuries and about 275,000 of them are hospitalized. Direct and indirect medical costs -- including lost productivity -- attributed to traumatic brain injury estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000.
Due to advancements in medical treatment and rehabilitation, the number of Americans living with traumatic brain injuries has increased. The Chicago Accident and Injury Lawyer Blog, which highlights traumatic brain injuries, discussed this very topic just last month in a blog entitled, LIVING WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES. There, we discussed how researchers have found it difficult to pinpoint guidelines for treating traumatic brain injuries due to the fact that the severity of injuries varies widely from person to person.
As Chicago brain injury attorneys, it is our role to understand the sequelae of traumatic brain injuries and maximize monetary recovery to provide for the brain-injured individual. Since, the short- and long-term disabilities resulting from a traumatic brain injury depend upon the severity of the injury, many factors will influence the outcome of a lawsuit, including the location of the injury on the brain, the age of the person and the general health of the individual.
Having represented a number of individuals that have suffered traumatic brain injuries, the traumatic brain injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll understand the damages that result from traumatic brain injuries, including the wide range of functional short- and long-term changes causing paralysis and affecting thinking, sensation, language, or emotions. Many of the causes of traumatic brain injuries stem from the negligent conduct of others. We have secured million-dollar verdicts and settlements for our injured clients that have suffered brain injuries. The Chicago brain injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll draw from experience to obtain justice for all of our clients. Contact us via our website by filling out a consultation form or at (312) 676-7222.
