Can a Traumatic Brain Injury End Your Evansville Career?

Can a Traumatic Brain Injury End Your Evansville Career?

traumatic-brain-injury

Only 55 percent of people who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) went back to work within three years of their injury. Based on the results of a Dutch study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the career prospects of patients with moderate to severe TBIs are grim.

Researchers found that a TBI can have long-term, debilitating effects on those who suffer from it. Older patients in the study were much more likely to be unemployed after three years than younger ones, suggesting young bodies may be more likely to fully recover from TBIs than others.

This study affords insights into characteristics of the aging workforce and long-term effect of TBIs on a patient’s vocation.

The Aging Workforce

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Several factors contribute to why workers are staying in the workforce past retirement age, and in larger percentages than previous generations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the increasing average cost of retirement, better education of workers, and higher life expectancy mean older workers have fewer reasons to retire around age 65 than before. This has led to a greater number of older workers across industries.

Unfortunately, the increasing number of older workers in the workforce comes with greater risks for employers. According to several studies, older workers are more likely to be injured and/or disabled on the job, costing employers and taxpayers millions each year.

According to the Dutch TBI study, patients over 40 years old were much more at risk for unemployment after suffering a TBI than those under 40. Whether this correlation indicates a higher incidence of severe symptoms or employers’ lack of willingness to hire TBI patients above a certain age is unknown.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

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Unsurprisingly, the most common causes of TBIs can occur in almost every area of work. The Mayo Clinic reports that falls, vehicle collisions, and explosions or flying debris can all result in a TBI. With both slips and falls as well as contact with equipment topping charts for most frequent workplace injuries, it’s no surprise that 200 out of 10,000 Americans suffer from TBIs every year.

In addition to external causes, several internal events may cause a TBI, including:

  • Aneurysm or tumor
  • Lack of oxygen to the brain
  • Meningitis
  • Stroke

Decreasing your risk for both internal and external causes may help prevent a traumatic brain injury from derailing your career.

Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries on Employment

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Traumatic brain injuries fall on a spectrum of severity, with mild cases slightly impairing cognitive ability and extreme cases leading to coma or death. It goes without saying that those who complete a more full recovery have a much better chance at regaining employment than those whose injury leaves them with long-term effects.

Symptoms of TBIs that directly affect work performance can include:

  • Communication problems: trouble organizing thoughts or understanding others, difficulty picking up nonverbal clues
  • Cognitive problems: degradation of memory, reason, problem-solving skills, attention, and learning ability
  • Behavioral changes: difficulty in social situations, reduced self-control, lack of awareness
  • Sensory problems: consistent ringing in the ears, decreased hand-eye coordination, blind spots, trouble with balance

In some cases, workers who have previously suffered a moderate to severe TBI may put employers at even greater risk for future injury, and therefore miss out on being re-hired. Access to robust rehabilitation programs may increase patients’ chance of making a full recovery, but not everyone has equal access to such facilities.

Employment Accommodations

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Because traumatic brain injury is considered a form of disability, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for workers with TBIs. Though such allowances vary from workplace to workplace, examples of TBI accommodations can include:

  • Making flexible work schedules
  • Reassigning tasks to others
  • Restructuring supervisors

People suffering from TBIs can be far from helpless, and in many cases occupational therapy contributes to a more complete recovery. Employers can help injured employees readjust to a work environment by making a few simple concessions. These small steps may just save time and money while helping a person in need.

Help from an Evansville Work Injury Lawyer

If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury on the job, Hensley Legal Group can help. Call us today or contact us online for a free consultation.

After an injury, you may not be able to return to work. The Social Security disability benefit lawyers at Hensley Legal Group can help you explore your options.

Freddie Kincaid

As an accident victim and single father in dire need of help and at the end of my rope, somehow a gentleman named Jonathan contacted me today about my accident, and within few minutes of our conversation he had calmed me down from a 10 to a 5 and took a load of stress, anger, fear, anxiety, depression and being lost off me 50% and helped me see light at end of a dark tunnel. Thank you Jonathan.

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If I ever meet anyone that needs a personal injury attorney, I tell them to hire Hensley! I can’t express my gratitude enough for this firm. I don’t know what I would have done without Spencer and the things he did for me.

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I had gotten to a point with the auto insurance that I didn't have any more energy to put into negotiating, but I knew they were trying to just get me to settle, so the Hensley group was great and took that off my plate!

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The staff at Hensley Legal Group are very welcoming and were able to answer all of my questions. Anyone needing assistance with personal injury or Social Security disability, I would suggest that you reach out to Hensley Legal Group.

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The Hensley Legal Group helped my husband get his disability after a short time. We would like to thank you and we appreciate your professionalism!

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This team was very diligent in swift response to my initial call and after referring me to one call to Social Security for some info to file, I give my strongest recommendation to any one who can use the services they provide!

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We have used Hensley Legal Group for an auto injury case and for a social security disability case and were very pleased with the outcome. Chris Czernik and Katrina Hildebrandt and their teams were kind, compassionate, and helpful. We would highly recommend them to anyone in need of assistance.

Williams Widina

My attorney is experienced and very knowledgeable about the nuances of labor law. It feels great to have such a skilled attorney on your side. I truly believe that they have The Strength to Make a Difference. I highly recommend using The Hensley Group.

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The whole team was very professional and sincere. They really were concerned about closing my case before my injuries were healed and making sure to cover all bases regarding my accident.

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The whole team was very professional and sincere. They really were concerned about closing my case before my injuries were healed and making sure to cover all bases regarding my accident.

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I was in an accident involving three totaled vehicles and ultimately one fatality. I’d never been in a situation like this before and didn’t know where to even start. So glad I called Hensley! They were so easy to work with and I’m sure got far more for me than I would’ve been able to get myself. They were kind, professional, and got the job done!

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