Brain Injury Lawyer

Any brain injury can be serious for the victim, but when the victim is a child, the long-term consequences can be particularly impactful. According to a recent study, the long-term effects that brain injuries have on children are more serious than the medical community previously realized. Not only can this information affect the type of medical treatment the victim will receive, but this information may also have an effect on any injury accident claims that the child and their parents may legally be entitled to pursue.

The study involved more than 125 subjects who had suffered brain injuries when they were younger than 18-years-old. The majority of participants has sustained their injuries at least a decade prior to the study. There were some participants who had been injured more than 15 years ago.

Out of the group, 65 of the subjects had sustained minor brain injuries and had only lost consciousness for less than 20 minutes. The subjects from this group had been hospitalized less than two days, had suffered no (or minimal) amnesia, and had normal brain scans.

Sixty-one of the subjects had sustained serious to severe brain injuries and were hospitalized for several days. These subjects had suffered skull fractures (or other physical signs of the injury), suffered long-term symptoms, and had evidence of their injury show up on brain scans.

Researchers spent time with each one of the subjects conducting individual diagnostic interviews. The point of the interviews was to determine what types of disorders the subjects had developed. Some of these disorders included phobias, panic attacks, depression, and anxiety.

The study revealed that a person who had sustained a brain injury were more five times more likely to develop anxiety than an individual who had never had a brain injury. Phobias, panic attacks, and depression were four times more apt to show up in individuals who had suffered a brain injury than a person who had never been injured.

Even more alarming was the long-term impact on victims who suffer serious or severe injury to the brain. They have the highest rate of anxiety disorder and often develop multiple disorders.

How Does This Affect an Injury Claim?

This is not the first study to reveal the long-term impact brain injuries have on victims. Multiple studies show that brain injuries often have a lifetime effect on the victim. Now consider if the victim is a child who has sustained a moderate brain injury. This evidence means that the injury can leave the child struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders which could follow them into adulthood.

When the brain injury is caused by an accident that occurred because of the negligent actions of another party – such as a car accident – the child’s parents may decide to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against that at-fault party. If the child’s brain injury means they have a high risk of developing disorders that will still affect them in adulthood, then the brain injury lawyer Trenton, NJ relies on the family hires may take this information into consideration when calculating the damages the victim may be entitled to because of the brain injury.

Thanks to Davis & Brusca, LLC for their insight into personal injury cases and child brain injuries.