The costs of a brain injury can be very high if a loved one falls into a vegetative state. From the continuous health care and treatment required by the patient to the time loved ones are forced to take off work, an Ohio medical malpractice attorney in Cleveland will address the costs associated with serious brain damage in a liability claim.
Health Care Costs of a Brain Injury
When patients are in a vegetative state, they need constant care in order to ensure overall health: that they don’t contract infections, that they’re fed and given proper nutrition, and that they’re cleaned and proper hygiene is maintained.
Patients in a vegetative state may require:
- a feeding tube in order to ensure they have the vitamins and nutrients necessary to stay healthy;
- constant turning and rotating to prevent bedsores from occurring;
- a catheter, or assistance from a nurse or medical professional, to assist with bowel and bladder movements;
- management of breathing, often through a tracheostomy tube;
- prevention, treatment and management of any infections or viruses;
- care for any other existing medical issues, such as seizures and fevers; and
- physical therapy to keep muscles active and limber.
The cost of these treatments doesn’t even include the initial expenses for the victim’s emergency care, trauma treatment and care during a coma. When calculating health care costs, it’s important that an Ohio medical malpractice attorney in Cleveland also considers long-term costs of the brain injury in addition to more immediate or existing costs.
Other Costs Associated with Brain Damage and a Vegetative State
In addition to the costs associated with the health care and treatment of a patient in a persistent vegetative state, there are also a number of other external costs that are incurred.
While a patient is in a vegetative state, external costs may include:
- lost wages from the patient, both current and future;
- lost wages from family members because of the time their loved one’s condition requires them to be away from work; and
- transportation costs incurred by visiting the patient often in the hospital or care facility.
If the patient begins to recover or emerge from a vegetative state, families may face even more costs associated with the brain injury. These can include everything from physical therapy, speech and language assistance, occupational therapy and more. The patient also may need constant care at a hospital, nursing facility or through a personal caretaker that an Ohio medical malpractice attorney in Cleveland will consider if pursuing a claim.
When a Vegetative State is the Result of Malpractice
If a patient’s brain damage and vegetative state is the result of medical malpractice or negligence, victims and their families may have grounds for a legal claim against the negligent party who caused the patient’s brain damage to recover the costs of the brain injury.
To learn more about filing a claim or to discuss a specific case, victims and their loved ones can call 440-333-3800 to speak to an Ohio medical malpractice attorney at Cleveland’s Mellino Robenalt LLC. During consultation, clients can go over the costs of the brain injury and how these expenses may be recovered.
