Raul "Rudy" Rodriguez, P.C. Blog

Many people think of a brain injury as the result of a bump on the head. However, in a car accident, the sudden violent force can send the brain crashing into the inside of the skull, and because there was no obvious head trauma, the victim may not even realize that there is a problem.

If the blow to the brain was enough to bruise delicate tissues and tear blood vessels, the victim may have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

It is an unfortunate fact that oftentimes auto accidents result in catastrophic injuries. What is less known and considered, however, is the long-term impact of these injuries on a person's future. Although the immediate aftermath is apparent right away and brings its own unique challenges, once the dust settles and the injured party must move on with his or her life, enduring consequences become more apparent.

Because catastrophic injuries from auto accidents have both immediate and long-term impacts, it is important not to underestimate the compensation that the injured party deserves. Often, the best way to understand the full scope of the impact of a serious auto accident and the resulting injuries is by consulting with a skilled personal injury attorney who works with these cases.

Spinal cord injuries can result from sudden, severe trauma to the spine where the vertebrae are fractured or compressed.  Injured vertebrae can affect nerve fibers and disrupt the sensations passing through the injured area, thereby impairing your corresponding muscles and nerves. A prime example is how a severe neck injury can affect your ability to move your arms and, possibly impair your ability to breathe.  Severe injuries to vertebrae may also result in permanent paralysis.

Nearly 500,000 people live with permanent spinal cord injuries in the United States. About 10,000 new injuries occur each year, with a large majority involving men between the ages of 16-30. While much has been made about football collisions leading to spinal cord trauma, spinal cord injuries stem primarily from motor vehicle accidents.

Without ever having looked at the settlement for a multi-million dollar personal injury claim, most people could tell you that suffering a brain injury is not only incredibly serious, but costly as well. From lengthy hospital stays, multiple surgeries, prescriptions to long-term rehabilitation, brain injuries can end up costing someone hundreds of thousands of dollars -- even millions -- over the course of their lifetime.

Beyond the dollar signs of these expenses, however, lies the hidden costs of a brain injury. While these costs cannot be easily quantified, their impact on a person's life can be just as great as the financial costs. A look at these four costs can help us understand the true cost of suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in an accident.