People in Orlando tend to thank their good fortune when they are able to survive serious accidents (regardless of whether they involve car crashes, work accidents or pedestrian collisions). Yet being able to walk away from such an incident (figuratively) may not necessarily mean that one’s ordeal is totally over. The injuries they sustain will often require extensive recuperation (which can be costly).
This is especially true when one suffers a traumatic brain injury. Such injuries are quite common (indeed, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2.87 million cases occur in the U.S. each year). Understanding the extent of one’s TBI in the immediate aftermath of their injury helps family and friends plan on how to best deal with it.
Determining the damage caused by a TBI
This is possible thanks to the Glasgow Coma Scale. The GCS is a clinical observation test which offers an indication of the extent of brain damage caused by a traumatic injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clinicians monitor the following elements when assigning a GCS score:
- Motor skills
- Verbal communication
- Eye movement
The closer one’s reactions approximate a normal response (the clinical baseline), the higher their GCS score. Scores above 13 indicate a mil brain injury, scores between nine and 12 a moderate one, and scores below eight indicate one potentially serious brain damage.
Recovering from a TBI
Any degree of brain damage is irreparable. That said, one can recover from a TBI (some might even expect that when dealing with a mild or moderate TBI). Yet any brain injury can have lingering effects. The costs that come from dealing with those after-effects may prompt one to seek compensation from the party responsible for their injury.
