DEALING WITH A LOVED ONE'S TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
As Chicago brain injury attorneys, we are interested in learning about new studies charting the path of recovery for brain-injured individuals. A recent article in the New York Times, When injuries to the brain tug at hearts, explores the hardships that brain injuries bring to relationships and marriages. Specifically, the article discusses how couples may rebuild a marriage after one partner suffers a life-changing brain injury.
In the piece, the New York Times reported "[u]ntil recently, there had been little evidence-based research on how to rebuild marriages after such a tragedy. Indeed, doctors frequently warn uninjured spouses that the marriage may well be over, that the personality changes that can result from brain injury may do irreparable harm to the relationship." Now, research has shown that divorce rates are "well below the national average among these couples." However, that does not always mean that their marriages are happy ones; in fact, in most cases, "the quality of the relationship has been seriously diminished."
Doctors treating individuals who suffered traumatic brain injuries are developing new marriage counseling techniques to help these patients and their partners deal with the loss and change to a relationship that often occur following a brain injury. While the New York Times recognizes that the research is still at the beginning stages, some traditional marriage counseling techniques can be helpful when dealing with a couple dealing with a traumatic brain injury, including focusing on better communication, "positive developments and things they like about each other, and to set aside time to inject a little romance and fun into a life that can be consumed by doctors’ appointments and paperwork." Researchers have also found that other traditional therapeutic techniques may not be helpful, such as "encouraging partners to remember what sparked their love in the first place [which] can mean 'highlighting the things that have probably been lost.'"
As Chicago brain injury attorneys, it is our role to understand the sequelae of traumatic brain injuries and assist clients in their recovery. Our brain injury attorneys also seek to maximize monetary recovery to provide long-term care for the brain-injured individual.
Having represented several 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 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.
