St. Louis Auto Attorney Discusses High Cost of Brain Injuries

Brain injuries are all too common in the U.S. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), around 52,000 brain injury related deaths were reported between 2002 and 2006. There were over 275,000 hospitalizations and more than 1.3 million emergency room visits during the same period. Recent statistics show that almost 1.7 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury each year.

Despite the fact that traumatic brain injuries are so common in the country, the issue does not receive the attention it deserves. According to an op-ed project report, the cost of brain injuries can be alarmingly high. It sheds light on the unfortunate reality that most of us hear about brain injuries in connection with celebrities who suffer from this injury, especially football stars.

The lifetime costs of traumatic brain injury treatment has been estimated to range from $85,000 and $3 million. Unfortunately, these costs could be prohibitively high for an average person. Celebrities may be able to absorb these high costs, but ordinary people cannot. The brain injury also impacts the victim’s ability to play a productive role in society. There are several studies to show that people who suffer from brain injuries are more likely to be unemployed.

The costs of brain injury are so high that it becomes critical for those injured due to negligence of another driver seek appropriate financial compensation. The amount of compensation the victim is able to recover depends on the circumstances surrounding the case. Due to the high costs of treatment, it becomes important to seek legal help from a competent and experienced St. Louis car wreck lawyer.

Building a strong case does not only involve gathering evidence regarding present costs resulting from the accident, but also the costs that the victim is likely to incur in the future. These damages are referred to as compensatory damages, because they are intended to pay back the accident victim for the costs he/she sustained as a result of the accident. These may involve past and future treatment costs, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity. Calculating the accurate amount of compensatory damages is extremely important.

Apart from these damages, victims can also claim non-economic compensatory damages. These damages include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. Non-economic damages cannot be easily calculated in financial terms, because it is hard to calculate the pain or mental and emotional trauma that the victim suffers. This makes it even more important for the victim to have a competent lawyer on his/her side. The lawyer will not only help put a dollar value to the losses, but will also help the victim receive the amount of compenstaion they desereve.

If you have suffered a brain injury in a car accident, you should immediately get in touch with an experienced St. Louis Auto Injury Lawyer at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.

Call (314) 361-4242 to schedule a free and private consultation.