The TBI rehab cost varies significantly depending on the severity of your injuries, the types of treatments you require, and your compliance level with those protocols. Further, the overall impact of the injury on your life and ability to function also impacts the cost of the TBI. For example, if you cannot work because of the TBI, the consequences of the injury are compounded because you may struggle more to keep up with the costs. But if someone else caused your TBI, you may be able to recover compensation to help you stay afloat financially.
GJEL Accident Attorneys provide comprehensive, personalized legal representation to California residents. We understand how important it is for you to get the medical and legal help you need after a brain injury. In addition to handling the legal paperwork, we also help clients gain access to the medical care they need to treat their injuries effectively.
What Goes Into the Cost of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Common expenses that go into the financial impact of a TBI include medical care, transportation costs, and lost wages or earning potential. However, many components interact to impact the overall cost of a traumatic brain injury. And since everyone is different, the unique circumstances of the accident and the person’s physiology play considerable roles in how the TBI presents itself. This variability results in cost fluctuations from person to person.
Medical Care
The cost of receiving medical care to treat and manage a traumatic brain injury is often high, regardless of whether you have insurance. According to a 2021 study published in the National Library of Medicine, the annual healthcare costs for people with a nonfatal TBI in 2016 soared to $40.6 billion. The study included costs for people who had private health insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. It did not include those who do not have insurance. The per-patient annual cost with insurance ranged from $4,196 to $53,318.
The medical treatment to address a TBI can vary significantly from patient to patient. Common medical expenses include the initial emergency room or urgent care visit, prescription medications, brain imaging scans, rehabilitation costs, and ongoing healthcare visits. Patients may also need to undergo one or more surgeries to address the TBI, such as surgery to reduce brain swelling.
Transportation Costs
TBIs can cause a range of decreased functions, including the inability to handle the physical or mental coordination involved in operating a vehicle. If this is the case, you may incur transportation costs to travel to and from medical appointments, errands, or other tasks. If a family member assumes this role, that family member might benefit from tracking the miles they drive. If you subsequently file a personal injury lawsuit, your family member may be able to receive reimbursement for the gas and toll it takes on their vehicle to take these extra trips.
Lost Wages or Lost Earning Potential
Another high cost of a TBI is the loss of wages or earning potential. People often must miss work to attend medical appointments or stay home and rest after the injury. In some cases, you may experience a long-term reduction in your ability to function, such as decreased memory, coordination, thought, or other symptoms. The result may be that you cannot earn the same amount of money you did before the injury. While this is not an added cost, it compounds the impact of your condition and the economic expense of the TBI.
What Is the Cost of Brain Injury Rehabilitation?
The cost of undergoing rehabilitation after a brain injury varies substantially from person to person. Someone who experiences a minor, closed head injury may have less impactful symptoms than someone with an open head wound after a severe car accident. The symptoms people can experience after a brain injury include the following:
- Loss of consciousness,
- Headache,
- Nausea,
- Speech problems,
- Coordination difficulties,
- Sleep disturbances,
- Mood changes,
- Personality changes,
- Sensitivity to light or sound,
- Coma, and
- Weakness or numbness.
These symptoms can last a few hours to days or even months. In severe cases, patients fall into a coma and never fully awaken. For those cases where rehabilitation is possible, the road to recovery may be challenging and expensive. Those concerned about the overall costs may be able to pursue compensation from the person responsible for their TBI.
What Is a Brain MRI Cost With Insurance?
The cost of an MRI with insurance varies greatly from case to case. The price depends on the type of insurance plan you have, the reason for the MRI, the hospital performing the MRI, and other factors. For example, some insurance companies may cover the MRI cost outright, while others require you to cover a portion of the expense as a co-payment. Further, each medical provider bills differently for their services, which may impact the cost of the MRI.
How Can I Get Reimbursed for the TBI Rehab Cost?
If you experienced a TBI because of someone else’s conduct, you might be eligible to receive compensation for your expenses. California law allows injury victims to file claims against the party or parties responsible for harming them. A party might be liable even if they did not directly cause the injury. For example, if a property owner did not warn a guest about the broken porch stairs and the guest fell and suffered a head wound, the property owner may be liable, even though they did not directly cause the accident.
GJEL Accident Attorneys: Helping Californians Receive Compensation for Their Injuries
Brain injuries can be immensely challenging because of the profound changes they can cause to someone’s personality and ability to function. But people with an acquired TBI may be able to find relief by filing a legal claim against the person or business who injured them.
GJEL Accident Attorneys has helped hundreds of clients rebuild their lives after an accident by bringing a lawsuit against the responsible parties. Since 1972, we have had over a 99% success rate in helping personal injury victims.
If you experienced a TBI because of someone else’s conduct, contact our team today to schedule a consultation.
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