A traumatic brain injury (TBI) could be the result of playing a contact sport like football or rugby. People could also get hurt at work, especially if their job takes them to significant elevations, as is the case for professional window washers and construction workers.
Car crashes, interpersonal violence and dangerous property conditions could also all contribute to the likelihood of someone developing a TBI. Although people often focus primarily on how a brain injury can affect an adult, when a child develops a TBI, it can prove problematic not just for them but for their entire extended family.
Why is the impact of a brain injury suffered by a child so severe for both the individual and their family?
The lifetime medical expenses could be astronomical
When an adult suffers a TBI, the lifetime cost of their medical care will range from around $85,000 to $2 million or more. The younger someone is and the more severe their injury is, the higher the likely medical costs.
Family resources may be insufficient for such challenging expenses, and insurance may not come even close to fully covering your costs, especially if the TBI is the result of a car crash.
Parents may have to leave their jobs
Beyond the direct medical expenses caused by a brain injury, there are numerous secondary expenses. One of the most significant relates to a parent serving as a caregiver. Your family may not like the idea of bringing in an outside professional, as the potential for abuse is hard to ignore.
Having one parent stay home with the child to care for them is a common solution, but it means depriving the entire family of one parent’s income and of that parent accepting diminished earnings for the rest of their life even after they eventually re-enter the workforce.
There are other expenses you may need to consider, such as making your house wheelchair accessible or getting a vehicle that can accommodate your child’s needs. Many families discover that they need to look into personal injury claims for a childhood TBI rather than just relying on insurance or cover the costs themselves. Estimating the total cost of a child’s brain injury can help your family decide what step to take next.
