Every year, approximately 145,000 people suffer a brain injury in Florida. These injuries can be caused from a number of sources, including contact sports, car accidents, falls and intentional crimes. In some cases, these individuals may be treated and released without serious complications, but a minimum of 9,000 of these cases will result in disabilities that the individual will struggle with for a lifetime.
Valerie Breen, the president and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of Florida noted that “many people recover over time, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be back to the way they were.” She described this recovery as a “slow, arduous process” with a long-term impact on their physical, mental and even social health.
After suffering a traumatic brain injury in an assault related to a carjacking, a man spent six months in a coma. Now, over 20 years later he is “still in recovery.” A big struggle for him has been seizures, which his service dog of 14 years has helped him deal with, but it isn’t just the companionship that benefits him in this case.
The dog provides notification of an impending seizure about 15 minutes before it presents. This animal isn’t clairvoyant; he is trained to detect physical and chemical changes that occur during the onset of a seizure. Licking an owner’s face may be a common behavior for the average pet, but in this case the canine is trained only to lick the man’s face when a seizure is imminent.
These highly trained service animals aren’t found in an adoption box on the street, and the treatment for brain injuries is rarely cheap. This man spent six months in a coma; how much wages would you lose missing work for half a year? What happens if other bills aren’t paid? This is only scratching the surface of what a victim of a traumatic brain injury may face.
What about the victim’s family? Remember the number of brain injuries per year? Breen also noted that in approximately 3,000 of these cases a family member or maybe a friend “will give up their life to take care of their loved one.”
This story and these facts may be a little shocking, but they are very real. They are also why courts award victims of negligence compensation to help cover the medical bills, the lost wages and the pain and suffering that a victim endures. A skilled and experienced Boca Raton personal injury attorney will ensure that the victim receives the maximum compensation they are due.
