Brain Injuries

Brain injury can cause physical, cognitive, social, and vocational changes. Recovery is often a lifelong process of adjustments and accommodations for the injured individual and his or her family. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines a traumatic brain injury as an injury that occurs when a sudden physical assault on the head causes damage to the brain. Traumatic brain injuries can be caused by a variety of accidents, including those involving trains, cars, trucks, and motorcycles. These accidents additionally may cause spinal cord injuries. All brain injuries are not traumatic. Deprivation of oxygen any time during the labor and/or delivery can cause brain injury and may result in life long disabilities.

Appropriate treatment of a brain injury can involve diagnostic testing, drugs, surgery, and rehabilitation. Rehabilitation, a critical aspect of optimal recovery, is prohibitively expensive. For catastrophic injuries, an extensive team of caregivers may be necessary. It is not uncommon for an injured individual to see a neurologist, neurosurgeon, physiatrist, neuropsychiatrist, vocational expert, life-care planner, neuro-psychologist, and physical, occupational and speech therapists. In most cases, the lives of the injured individual’s family are completely disrupted as they focus their energies on securing proper medical care.