In Ontario alone, some 18,000 people sustain a brain injury. Although most survive and recover, brain injuries are incredibly serious, and the costs that come with them can be sizeable financially and emotionally. According to a study from the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington, taking into consideration healthcare costs, insurance, workers compensation, and private costs, the prevention of even one serious brain injury could result in more than $90 million dollars in savings over the course of the lifetime of the injured person. That is the long-term consequence of a brain injury.
Where Do You See The Costs Of An Acquired Brain Injury?
Fortunately, in Ontario, a lot of the costs of an acquired brain injury are covered under OHIP. Neurosurgery. Medical care in a low-level state or during a coma. Extensive rehabilitative therapy. These things are all covered under public healthcare.
When someone experiences a brain injury, they receive acute care in a hospital setting. Then, patients are registered for rehabilitation treatments. Assuming a patient is able to, following rehabilitation, they are tasked with re-learning simple actions like walking, talking, eating, and bathing. This can sometimes take months.
Once a person recovering from a brain injury is fully discharged, they are often not entirely independent and have to be looked after by family members. They need to be taken to appointments, aided with cleaning and cooking and other daily activities. There are also costs relating to psychological counselling, occupational therapy, and other treatments for which a brain injury patient may be registered.
Those aren’t the only costs, either. Loss of work productivity has to be calculated. The cost of unemployment or under-employment also adds to the expense.
How Likely Is Someone With A Brain Injury Going To Return To Work?
The majority of people with brain injuries never return to work in a full-time capacity. Recent provincial statistics suggest up to 92% of men and 99% of women never return fully to the workforce.
Life with a brain injury can be immensely difficult. It is very much a chronic health condition survivors have to deal with. There are often cognitive, emotional, and physical difficulties, sometimes lasting years. Chronic pain can set in. Depression isn’t uncommon. Difficulty concentrating and memory troubles are also often the case.
Every brain injury is unique, and recovery times vary. Unfortunately, there are limited long-term resources to treat brain injury patients. Nearly all public health funding as it relates to brain injuries relates to acute treatments and short-term rehabilitation. Once a person goes through those steps, they are sometimes left without much more assistance. This is despite the fact that brain injury survivors struggle with these sorts of injuries for months, if not years.
This is where a brain injury lawyer can be helpful.
How Can A Brain Injury Lawyer Help With The Financial Impact Of A Brain Injury?
A brain injury lawyer can help brain-injured accident victims, and their families obtain the compensation they are owed. These are funds that can be dedicated to the recovery and security of a brain injury patient.
Sadly, the majority of brain injury patients do not receive the compensation they are rightfully owed for their injury and losses. This is because a patient either does not engage with a lawyer or engages with a lawyer who does not specialize in brain injuries which could limit the financial compensation available to them.
Considering only a portion of the costs of medical care relating to brain injuries is covered by public healthcare in Ontario, a brain injury patient shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to acquire the rightfully owed funds. A recent study analyzing brain injury treatment costs in Ontario revealed that first-year total treatment costs for brain injuries were approximately $489 million province-wide. Add to this long-term treatment and indirect costs, and this is a lot not only for Ontario but for families who have to deal with these expenses day-to-day.
A patient should only have to worry about getting better. The financial stress of navigating their way through a healthcare system where there’s another expense around every corner isn’t conducive to recovery. A brain injury lawyer is here to determine if compensation options are available to you, among other things.
5 Things A Brain Injury Lawyer Can Do For You And Your Family
When you speak to a specialized brain injury lawyer, they’re going to do five key things for you.
- Lifetime costs. As we’ve established a brain injury doesn’t just go away. It’s something patients deal with for a long time, often over the course of years. A brain injury lawyer will be able to sit down with you and help determine the lifetime cost of an injury, ensuring we’re making a case for maximum compensation from the responsible party.
- Get your needs addressed. A brain injury lawyer is going to make a case to the insurer, ensuring that they recognize a patient’s need for support and care is far above what’s considered the bare minimum. The ‘bare minimum’ is shockingly very little long-term compared to what’s reasonable and rightfully expected by a lot of families.
- Get in touch with experts. A brain injury lawyer has medical professionals and brain care experts already lined up. They may also be connected to specialized accountants, medical rehabilitation practitioners, and more. They can at least give you a complete perspective on what is needed for your unique circumstances.
- A guide through the legal system. It can be a confusing, difficult, and discouraging time trying to adapt to life with a brain injury. A brain injury lawyer has been through the legal system before with other patients. They understand what’s required to arrive at a successful outcome.
- Your best advocate. There is no better advisor on how to move forward and no better advocate on your behalf than a highly experienced brain injury lawyer. They’re a major asset.
More Information About Expenses And Compensation From A Brain Injury
Understandably, when someone suffers a brain injury, they aren’t prepared for the financial necessities that come in seeking treatment. Insurance for a brain injury has its limits, and when income’s negatively impacted, short-term disability payouts aren’t nearly enough to cover everything that’s on the way in treating a brain injury over the months ahead.
It costs you nothing to sit with a brain injury lawyer, go over your unique circumstances, and determine if there is possible compensation you haven’t tapped into. There is no reason to deny yourself rightful compensation as you face the present and future of getting you better and returning yourself to normalcy.
In Ontario, the statute of limitations for a brain injury claim is only two years. Within this period is when you have to file. Don’t wait. Though you should always take care of yourself first, with appointments and handling other medical issues, starting the claims process should be among one’s first priorities as well.
The claims process involves assembling medical bills, gathering police reports, pictures of the accident, medical records, and more. It can take time. A brain injury lawyer can aid in this preparation. While getting your claim ready, it is also imperative to continue your care. Any medical care being offered is something a brain injury patient should tap into.
A brain injury patient may be entitled to compensation for the accident and wages lost due to injury, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and long-term costs associated with the medical care surrounding this injury. The stronger your case, the better the chances are that compensation will be won on your behalf.If you or a loved one has experienced a brain injury and wishes to claim damages against a negligent party, speak with a brain injury lawyer in Toronto. They can discuss the circumstances around your case and decide on how to proceed with a claim.
