When most folk discuss accidents — from on the job work falls, to car crashes, to getting hurt while playing sports, most of the talk involves what happened at the time and who was to blame for the accident. In lawyer’s language, that is the “liability” part of any injury claim or accident case. And that’s important — you cannot find justice for an injury victim without determining fault and assessing liability.
However, the bigger question for those who have been accident victims, as well as their families and their loved ones, is the aftermath of that accident. How badly was the accident victim hurt and how long till he or she recovers? What is needed in the form of care and therapy and drugs and rehab? What needs of the family need to be met (from loss of support and companionship to practical things, like how can the mortgage get paid)? This is the “damages” part of their injury claim and accident case.
Which means that when a group of organizations works to bring greater public awareness to the severe and serious needs of those who have suffered head trauma, concussion, and traumatic brain injuries after an accident, it’s a good thing. Families need to know that there is help for them both short-term and long-term, and in no type of accident injury is this more important than when the person has suffered an injury to their brain.
March 2015 is Brain Awareness Month
Every year, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) captains a national public awareness campaign for those who have suffered brain injuries, and the BIAA has made the month of March as “Brain Injury Awareness Month.”
This year’s theme for March 2015 as Brain Injury Awareness Month is “Not Alone”.
In its Not Alone Campaign, the BIAA is working not only to make the public more aware of brain injuries — how they happen, what can be done for folk who suffer brain injuries — but also to help victims and their families by working to lessen the stigma that many brain injury victims suffer after their accident.
A stigma that is so serious, that combined with the burden of recovery and comprised life style, leads far too many TBI victims to consider suicide as an option. See, “Do College Athletes Have Higher Risk of Suicide Because of Sports Concussions? Yes..”
One of the organizations working with BIAA in bringing greater awareness of the impact of brain injury upon Americans is the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).
Every year, around 2,400,000 people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in this country, and this is especially tragic in the life-altering impact these brain injuries have upon children and young adults.
The NCTSN has compiled a long list of online resources for those want to learn about brain injuries as well as how to help TBI victims and their families.
Our law firm has represented many people who have tragically suffered severe and life-changing head injuries in all kinds of accidents. These traumatic brain injuries need long term help and those responsible for these accidents should take responsibility for things like future physical therapy needs, future psychological needs, and future care needs for both the victim and their families.
It’s important for people to know about the very real dangers of injuries to the brain which can happen in all sorts of ways, from sporting accidents like those that have happened to football players in school sports as well as car crashes where victims are suddenly injured in their head, neck, and spine.
Do you know the symptoms of brain injury? Read “Concussion Warning Symptoms — Watch Out for These Signs of Brain Injury” for how sneaky these serious injuries can be.
