Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) affect millions of Americans every year, yet the reported numbers don’t address the burden their families feel in the years after their loved one is hurt. Those with a TBI may suffer additional issues or injuries, dramatically altering their future and requiring greater support from their family members. If someone else is to blame for the TBI, both the victim and their loved ones deserve compensation, acknowledging the impact on their lives.
Below, a California brain injury lawyer from Ernst Law Group discusses recognizing concussions and how traumatic brain injuries impact the family of a TBI patient.
Traumatic brain injuries turn the patient’s and family’s worlds upside down
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s data analysis tool, the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), shows a total of 223,635 fatal traumatic brain injuries in 2023 across the United States. Those who survive TBIs number around five million, requiring billions in care each year for treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing care. It’s vital to consider how significantly these unexpected injuries affect a patient’s parents, children, siblings, and other family members.
Ways you can support yourself as a caretaker
The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) advises caretakers to be aware of the stress they face and identify ways to cope with it. It can be easy to believe that you have to sacrifice every moment to care for the patient. Yet, an old saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
Adopting the following strategies can be a critical part of support for families of brain injury patients:
- Take time for your own needs and activities so you are more fully refreshed and able to care for others.
- Maintain a regular schedule of exercise, meditation or prayer, and interests outside of caretaking to support your mental and physical health.
- Attend brain injury family support groups.
- Keep your sense of humor to help everyone stay positive.
- Have honest discussions with family members about rebalancing caretaking responsibilities and expectations for supporting the TBI patient.
- Reward yourself for large things, such as reaching a recovery milestone, and small things, like simply getting through a particularly stressful day.
- Support and lean on each other as a family to handle the ups and downs.
Try to ensure you have time to yourself as an individual, and remember that every TBI recovery will be unique. By taking these approaches, you and other family members can obtain perspective on the often lengthy journey a TBI patient faces.
Getting support for families of brain injury patients in California
Many families begin with the problem of where to get long-term care for brain injury patients. Thankfully, they can turn to numerous programs and centers, such as those provided by the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). In addition, loved ones can turn to the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) for groups offering support for families of brain injury patients to help them navigate the emotional, physical, and financial impacts.
Those with TBIs face risks of future brain injury, surgery, and psychological impacts, such as depression and personality changes. While the patient can’t help their symptoms, it can devastate family members when the person doesn’t recognize them anymore or lashes out from frustration or inability to control their emotions. In situations where a young person was hurt due to contact sports or at the hands of others, parents and siblings must adjust their dreams for their child’s future and may need experienced guidance.
When a patient’s TBI happens due to someone else’s negligence or intentional actions, it’s vital that the families take action to hold those parties accountable. The financial effect of treating a TBI can be overwhelming, especially if the injured person is the family’s breadwinner. By working with a compassionate yet aggressive Califonia brain injury attorney, families facing a difficult path helping their loved one heal can also seek compensation that addresses the full impact of the injury.
Ernst Law Group is ready to support families of brain injury patients in California
Untangling liability in traumatic brain injury cases is extremely complicated, and you will need a qualified legal representative to fight for the financial relief your family needs. Do not wait long to request a free consultation with a California brain injury lawyer at Ernst Law Group since the CA statute of limitations for these cases is only two years in most instances. Instead of facing astronomical medical costs and future care expenses when someone else is to blame, you can rely on our background and skills to maximize your compensation.
We do not get paid until we secure a settlement or jury award for you. Take action now and contact us online or call (805) 541-0300 to speak with our team and discuss your legal options.
