Account For These 2 Issues When Pursuing Compensation For A Brain Injury

When people think of the consequences of brain injuries, the physical problems that can develop often come to mind. However, here are two other issues that can also manifest as the result of a brain injury that need to be accounted for when pursuing compensation for damages from the liable party.

Mental Health Problems

Your brain is essentially the central processing unit of your body, responsible for managing all of your internal functions including your mental and emotional processes. Thus, it's common for people to experience a significant change in their mental health after sustaining a brain injury.

For example, a study funded by the NIH found about 20 percent of participants who sustained mild traumatic brain injuries developed PTSD or major depressive disorder 3 to 6 months after their head trauma. Other research into this area found people experienced personality changes such as increased irritability and anger, feelings of social anxiety, and mood swings.

With proper treatment, people who suffer from these issues can recover and live normal lives. Unfortunately, therapy, medication, and other remedies cost money. That's why it's important to work with your attorney to ensure that any settlement you negotiate with the liable party includes payment for the treatments you need to address your condition.

New or Worsened Learning Disabilities

Another problem that can be caused by a brain injury is the loss of learning skills and processes. This can range anywhere from forgetting information already acquired (e.g. being unable to remember how to speak a second language) to having difficulty learning new things (e.g. calculating basic math problems).

As you can imagine, this can have a significant impact on all aspects of your life. For example, a severe-enough learning disability can limit your career choices, and hurt your financial prospects. It can make it hard to respond to life challenges and even make you more susceptible to being taken advantage of.

As with mental health issues, learning disabilities can be managed and mitigated with proper treatment. However, in addition to asking for money to pay for that treatment, you should request compensation for the loss of any earning potential you suffer. If you can't return to your technical career, for instance, you can ask for money to cover the loss of potential wages if you're forced to take a lower-paying job.

It's essential that you contact an attorney for help with your personal injury case. A lawyer will make sure you are fairly compensated for your losses as well as pursue money for treatments that can make you whole again. For help with your case, call a law firm such as Craig P. Kenny & Associates.