After years of representing clients with traumatic brain injuries and other serious, life-changing injuries, I can tell you that family support is one the most important factors for a successful recovery. A positive, loving family that takes on an active role can increase the rate of recovery exponentially.
But, when it comes to traumatic brain injury, it’s often difficult for families to remain supportive and positive all the time. Sometimes, family members (or entire families) have a hard time understanding the full extent of a traumatic brain injury.
“Getting your family to understand that you cannot work, you have a brain injury and just why can’t they understand this is nearly impossible,” writes a traumatic brain injury survivor at Traumatic Brain Injury Hope Blog. “It wells up in frustration and anger. You just want them to understand You want them to give you a hug, tell you that it will be better and that you will get better with time. You just want support. I can’t get that with my family.”
All too often, when a family does not understand an injury or cannot do anything to help, they try to ignore they problem. The victim, however, cannot ignore the injury, and the family’s method of coping feels like indifference.
The aforementioned blogger was injured several years ago when she was crushed in a freak trash compactor accident. She didn’t have insurance at the time, and she was literally pushed out the hospital door while she was still vomiting up blood from the accident. She was never seen by a specialist. She now suffers from dizziness and cognitive problems, and she has lost her senses of smell and taste.
But what hurts the most is that her family seems to be uncaring: “My mother is always tell me I must get a job, although I am unable to work due to my dizziness, which can be severe at times, and other injuries I am still challenged by due to being crushed. It wasn’t too long ago that my mother told me how much of a financial burden I was to her and that I needed to get a job… I was just shocked. After trying for the first 2 years after my TBI to tell her what it has done to my brain and how it has affected my lifestyle, I felt as if I had done nothing more than talk to a wall.
“I have to accept, somehow, some way, that my family will never care enough to give me the support that I desperately need from them… With my TBI, I feel as if I am on an island and no one understands how much suffering is involved. I feel alone at times. Sometimes I feel I am not even from this planet because no one I know has suffered a TBI. I am still hoping that I will be able to be seen by a neurologist to get treatment. The cost is great and I do not have any income… I am hoping for a miracle.”
I would suggest to the blogger that her brain injury has been difficult for her family, too, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Financial troubles can cause immense stress. On top of that, the family is likely frustrated that they do not have the resources to help the TBI victim.
This story makes it clear that having health insurance coverage is vitally important. Traumatic brain injuries significantly alter the lives of their victims and families, and TBI treatment is typically very expensive.
If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic brain injury and have questions about your legal rights, call Atlanta brain injury lawyer Michael Neff at 404-531-9700 for a free consultation. If another party’s negligence contributed to your injury, you may be entitled to monetary compensation to help with your recovery. But you must act fast: see a doctor and contact an attorney as soon as possible after the accident.