If you get involved in a car accident and suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), there will certainly be short-term symptoms and medical issues that need to be dealt with. This can be very expensive and may cause you to miss time at work, so you need to know how to seek financial compensation.
But it is also important to consider how a TBI could change your life long-term. Brain injuries are notorious for healing slowly and sometimes not fully healing at all. What kind of impact is this going to have on you moving forward?
Reduced earning capacity
For one thing, it could affect your ability to earn. If you have a reduced earning capacity because the brain injury makes it impossible for you to do the job you were doing before the accident, you could see significant lost wages. For instance, perhaps you previously had a high-level medical job, but the TBI gives you brain fog and mental confusion. That means you cannot return to that position.
Personality changes
Often, a TBI results in personality changes. These can affect your personal relationships and even your marriage. Some spouses of TBI survivors say that they feel like their spouse is someone they hardly know after the accident.
Loss of enjoyment in life
One other thing to consider is if the TBI makes it harder for you to enjoy your life. Maybe memory issues mean that you cannot enjoy your hobbies the way you used to. Maybe you have chronic fatigue that makes it difficult to spend time with your children. It really depends on the specific symptoms you have from your unique TBI.
But no matter what those symptoms look like, when they change your life long-term, it is crucial that you understand exactly what legal options you have to seek appropriate compensation.
