The lives of an individual and their loved ones can be changed and potentially shattered in the instantaneous occurrence of an unexpected accident. Accidents that result in a traumatic brain injury can come in many forms. It may be a medical mistake, a construction accident, a vehicular accident or something else. For an Ohio man, it was the detonation of an IED.
Five years ago, at just 21-years-old, a young Ohio man had volunteered for a mission in Iraq. While driving a Humvee he passed over an IED strong enough to blow up a tank. The man suffered severe injuries and was not expected to survive the incident and his resulting injuries.
When someone experiences a brain injury, the magnitude of treatment and other medical necessities can quickly become very overwhelming. After the IED explosion, this victim underwent 15 surgeries, experienced multiple instances of soil bacteria infection and went into cardiac arrest two times.
As if all of those tragic events weren’t stressful enough, his rehabilitation had only begun. Unfortunately, he struggles most with is his traumatic brain injury. After five years of rehabilitation, however, he is finally able to read at a fifth grade level.
Brain injury is just one type of catastrophic injury that may result from an accident. There are many other catastrophic injuries caused by accidents. Some of those injuries may include the following:
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord Injuries
- Neck injuries requiring surgery
- Loss of sight
- Loss of hearing
While injuries that occur during combat likely do not permit for compensation, in most other cases of traumatic brain injury or other catastrophic injuries caused by an accident, a victim may recover compensation through a personal injury settlement. Just compensation will help an injured individual deal with the expenses that occur as a result of the accident.
Source: Stars and Stripes, “Mother of injured veteran spreading word of Wounded Warrior Project,” July 11, 2012