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Wednesday, 26 June 2013

The Benefits Of Brain Injury Compensation

Brain injury compensation can be absolutely vital in ensuring that people who have sustained a traumatic head injury can continue to achieve a high quality of life. There are very few injuries that can affect every aspect of a person's life, but a brain injury is one of the most commonplace and apparent.



Frequently, it is only the loved ones of the injured person who realise the extent of the injury and the impact it has had. Often, people who have sustained brain damage do not realise how much it has changed them and they can underestimate how much head injury compensation they deserve, and while brain injury solicitors can help them to come to a realistic assessment, the family and friends of the victim are usually essential.

Recovery following brain injury compensation

It is possible to recover from brain damage, although this usually requires extensive rehabilitation. Children usually recover faster than adults, as a child's brain still retains a level of 'elasticity', meaning they can use other uninjured parts of the brain to compensate for the damage. Adults and the elderly may still be able to recover, but a person's prognosis usually worsens with age. Furthermore, damage to certain 'interior' parts of the brain, such as the brainstem, can be much more difficult to recover from than damage to other parts, such as those that deal with higher functions like reading and speech.
  • Compensation for brain injury care

Significant brain damage can often require lifelong care, and even mild trauma to the brain can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, in which cognitive function becomes progressively worse. The injured person and their loved ones may have to undergo huge adjustments to their lifestyle and may have to prepare for the possibility of long-term support and care.
  • Head injury compensation considers long-term recovery

Research into brain damage recovery is constantly advancing, and medication or lifestyle changes may help to limit the impact of this kind of trauma. However, potential 'miracle cures' such as stem cell injections are many decades away and patients should expect recovery to only take place in the long-term.

Brain injury compensation can help people to meet the associated costs of recovery and get their lives back on track. It is hard enough to sustain brain damage, but many people who suffer from this injury find themselves falling into financial difficulties and struggling to make ends meet. Brain injury solicitors can help them to protect themselves financially.

What causes a traumatic brain injury?

Traumatic brain injuries are defined as injuries or damage to the brain caused by trauma to the head. However, the initial impact might not be directly responsible for the extent of the injuries. Oxygen deprivation following head trauma can result in the death of brain cells, while clots, bleeding, hypotension and other secondary issues can also lead to brain damage.

Inflammation of the brain is an important factor in many head injury compensation cases. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine found that inflammation can often lead to the development of neurodegenerative disorders many years after the initial trauma. This means brain injury solicitors must consider the risk of a client developing Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia or other mental health problems, as well as the most obvious immediate impacts on their clients.

The research, which was published in Brain Pathology, revealed that people who suffer mild or moderate trauma to the brain are at a higher-than-average risk of developing tangles and neural plaques, which are strongly correlated to age-related neurological disorders.

What effects will my brain injury solicitors consider?

The brain is an unbelievably complicated organ and the best neurologists are still generally unaware of how it works. Brain injury claims have actually been an essential research tool in the field of neurology - one of the most important test subjects in the field is 19th-century railway foreman Phineas Gage, who suffered a terrible brain injury involving an accident at work that caused dramatic personality changes.

Cognitive effects relate to changes in the ways a victim perceives the world, such as the way they learn, think or remember. Specific regions of the brain that relate to particular cognitive functions may be impacted by trauma to the head, so a victim may find it difficult to perform certain cognitive tasks while finding it simple to handle others.

Behavioural or emotional changes are also commonly seen in brain injury compensation claims. Although it is natural for people to feel anxious or cautious following a traumatic event, brain damage can frequently lead to changes in people's personalities. Phineas Gage's friends and family remarked that he no longer was the same person after he suffered his accident at work - he is said to have turned from a hardworking and polite man to a crude and offensive one.

Communication effects relate to difficulties speaking, understanding conversation or recognising facial cues and other non-verbal speech. It is common for people to understand other conversations but to be unable to hold a conversation themselves, or to be able to speak fluently but unable to follow what other people are saying.

When making a head injury compensation claim, it is important to deal with a brain injury solicitor who understands all these factors. Solicitors must understand the impact that brain damage can have for loved ones as well as for the victim.

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