It is a troubling experience any time a family member or loved one is hurt. However, it can be especially devastating when a newborn baby or young infant sustains a serious and potentially life-threatening injury. Every year, infants across the state of Massachusetts and beyond are forced to live with the long-term effects of preventable brain injuries as a result of medical malpractice. The attorneys at the law offices of Donovan & O’Connor, L.L.P., are all too familiar with the fact that while cases often result in damages awards for malpractice victims and their families, it can be difficult to quantify the nature and severity of symptoms that the child may experience in the future. If a child in your family is living with a TBI, it is important to be aware of the emotional and cognitive difficulties that he or she may be confronted with in the future.
According to brainline.org, cognitive deficits caused by a traumatic brain injury in a child can have profound long-term effects. TBIs can affect numerous neurological processes within the body, and the full extent of neurological damage sustained is not often immediately apparent in pediatric patients. Some of the cognitive difficulties that a child may exhibit following a TBI can include but are not limited to:
- Making connections between actions and consequences
- Loss of concentration and/or attention
- Anger management
The psychosocial effects of a TBI can be just as traumatic as physical disability for a child, and can be much more difficult to effectively identify and treat. The learning difficulties and/or behavioral issues that a child has can require ongoing therapy and supervision. In such cases, families can encounter significant financial difficulties as a result of missing work and other hardships.
Recognizing the potential for cognitive disabilities is an important aspect of achieving a medical malpractice award that fully accounts for your child’s long-term medical and care needs. Visit our web page today to learn more about child TBI symptoms and liability.