Brain Injury Treatment and Resources

There are many types of brain injuries that a victim may suffer. They include contusions, concussions, skull fractures, hematomas, and comas. In Tennessee, about 8,000 people are admitted to the hospital with traumatic brain injuries each year. Survivors may suffer impairments that affect their behavior, their physical wellbeing, and their cognitive ability. This may adversely affect their ability to live in their homes, enjoy the activities that they enjoyed in the past, go back to school, or return to work. Whether a brain injury is a result of an East Tennessee car accident, a slip and fall, or another event, it is crucial to access top-notch brain injury treatment and resources. Receiving appropriate compensation from the party that injured you may be critical in obtaining treatment. Knoxville brain injury lawyer Mark Hartsoe is ready to guide you through the legal process.

If you suspect that you or your loved one has suffered a brain injury after an accident, you should seek emergency medical treatment. Often, victims with moderate to severe brain injuries need to be admitted to an Inpatient Intensive Care Unit. Sometimes life-sustaining medical care, such as a ventilator and a nasogastric tube, is necessary. An intracranial pressure monitor may be attached to the head of an accident victim to determine whether there is pressure and swelling in the brain. Acute rehabilitation will begin as soon as possible in the recovery process.

Later, post-acute rehabilitation, sub-acute rehabilitation, day treatment, or outpatient therapy may be required. In some cases, an accident victim may need the help of a community re-entry program or an independent living program. In other cases, it may be necessary to modify the victim’s home, and the victim may need to take medications and see a variety of specialists on a long-term basis. For example, a physiatrist may work with an accident victim's rehabilitation team and family to determine a possible treatment plan. This may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech or language pathologists, rehabilitation nurses, neuropsychologists, recreational therapists, and social workers.

All of these forms of rehabilitation may help tremendously, but they are not cheap. Many people cannot afford the treatment necessary after suffering a brain injury, particularly if they are not able to work. To recover the costs, they may bring a lawsuit against an at-fault person or entity. What must be proven depends on the particular circumstances of the accident. In a car crash case, for example, a victim is likely to need to show that another driver failed to drive safely, and this failure caused the victim's brain injuries.

Even when liability is clear, and a brain injury is severe, insurers for the at-fault party may seek to pin the blame on the victim. In Tennessee, an accident victim who was 49% or less at fault for an accident may recover their damages, reduced by their own percentage of fault. However, they will be barred from recovering compensation if they are found to have been 50% or more at fault. The treatments for brain injuries are expensive, and it is important not to inadvertently make an admission to an insurer that could be used to reduce your total damages. You should retain experienced attorney Mark Hartsoe before speaking to an at-fault party’s insurer.

In the 1990s, survivors of traumatic brain injuries petitioned the Tennessee General Assembly for government assistance, and the response was the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program, which is intended to address the special needs of people who suffer brain injuries and their families. If you are concerned about access to brain injury treatment and resources, you should consult experienced Knoxville brain injury attorney Mark Hartsoe. Call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us via our online form to set up a free consultation. Mark Hartsoe represents people who need a truck accident attorney or representation in another type of personal injury claim throughout East Tennessee, including in Knox, Blount, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.