The long-term impact of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained in a construction accident can be severe and life changing. Depending on the type of accident and the part of the brain that was affected, you may experience serious symptoms that impact your quality of life and livelihood. Not only can TBI cause you to suffer physically, but these types of injuries can also take an emotional, psychological, and financial toll on you and your family. If your injury was caused by the negligence of a third party on the job site, you may be entitled to recover compensation for a broad scope of damages.
What are the Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury After a Construction Accident?
Traumatic brain injury affects each victim differently. Although some symptoms may be temporary, others may persist for years or throughout your life. Whether your injury was sustained in connection with a scaffolding accident, machinery malfunction, vehicle collision, a struck-by accident, or another incident, you may suffer a wide range of long-term effects. Regular activities like cooking, cleaning, and caring for yourself become much more difficult with TBI — and your relationships, ability to work, and mental health can all be affected.
The long-term impact of a traumatic brain injury can include:
- Physical injuries — A construction accident-related traumatic brain injury can cause many different types of physical issues, including headaches, vision problems, hearing loss, nausea, balance problems, and changes in appetite.
- Cognitive issues — Cognitive issues caused by traumatic brain injury can include difficulty concentrating, memory problems, attention deficits, issues with processing information, and challenges with decision-making.
- Emotional problems — Traumatic brain injury after a construction accident can cause a variety of emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, anger, insomnia, and lack of empathy for others.
- Behavioral changes — Common behavioral changes in construction accident victims with traumatic brain injury can include extreme emotional responses, difficulty beginning tasks, issues with social behavior, problems communicating, restlessness, and lack of motivation.
- Occupational impact — If a victim is eventually able to return to their job, the physical limitations, behavioral challenges and cognitive impairment caused by traumatic brain injury can significantly affect work performance.
Other long-term medical complications in connection with traumatic brain injury can include an increased risk of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. You may also experience hormonal imbalances, accumulation of fluid on the brain, and chronic pain syndrome.
Compensation for Long-Term Traumatic Brian Injury Effects
A traumatic brain injury suffered in a construction accident can require extensive medical treatment, including physical therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, psychological counseling to address emotional health issues, the use of assistive devices, and speech therapy. In addition, your physical, emotional, and behavioral limitations may cause you to lose time from work and incur a substantial amount of lost wages. Based on the seriousness of your injury and your ongoing limitations, you might not be able to work at all.
Workers’ Compensation benefits are rarely enough to compensate a victim for the long-term effects of TBI. If you suffered a traumatic brain injury in a construction accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover compensation for the full extent of the long-term impact the injury will have on your life in a personal injury action. Recoverable economic and non-economic damages for these types of injuries can include the following:
- Unreimbursed medical costs
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Future lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Documentation is crucial in traumatic brain injury cases. While medical records are the foundation of every TBI claim, these matters are very complex. Expert witness testimony from neurologists, neuropsychologists, life care planners, and medical professionals may be necessary to explain your long-term care needs, limitations, and the expected recovery process. An experienced personal injury attorney who handles construction-related TBI cases will know how to prepare your case, value your damages, and secure the maximum compensation you deserve.
Contact an Experienced New York City Personal Injury Attorney
The long-term impact of a traumatic brain injury caused by a construction accident can be profound and affect all aspects of your life. The Edelsteins, Faegenburg & Brown, LLP is a New York personal injury firm committed to fighting for construction accident victims who have suffered traumatic brain injuries and securing the compensation they deserve. Handling every case with skill, adeptness, and proficiency, we have a long track record of securing substantial settlements and verdicts for our clients. Contact us to schedule a free consultation at (212) 425-1999 today.