Traumatic brain injury is one of the most common and most devastating types of personal injury California accident victims experience. Currently, traumatic brain injuries fall into one of three categories: mild, moderate or severe. However, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has recommended revising this classification system to add more precise categories. The report argues that reworking this system would help guide the care of patience and improve how research is approached.
The report makes several other recommendations for providing optimal medical responses to traumatic brain injury situations. These include:
- Providing multidisciplinary care quickly after the injury, including access to follow-up
- Continual screening of individuals with TBIs to monitor risks and possible decline
- Support for co-morbidities (for example, mental health problems) and social needs (such as working and housing)
- Long-term support for caregivers
TBI care is a serious issue in Texas and throughout the United States, with 2 million cases recorded each year. The cumulative lifetime costs of TBIs for these individuals is estimated to be up to $750 billion, including costs such as income loss, health care and quality of life adjustments. Therefore, the report notes, it is extremely important to make the improvements necessary to better categorize injuries and improve patient care and caregiver support. As health organizations work to improve standards for TBI care, it could prove invaluable for many individuals who suffered these injuries as victims of any type of negligence to take steps to seek restitution for the myriad of associated costs. One of the first steps is to find a trusted personal injury lawyer to provide legal guidance.