What Are the Costs of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A simple trip to the museum has turned into a medical nightmare for one San Francisco family. A mother had taken her daughter and son out to enjoy the culture of our city when her boy fell from a ledge. The eight-foot fall ended in an awning below, but while falling the boy struck a tree, causing a traumatic brain injury. Now the family is struggling to adjust to the changes, but what are the options available to them?

How to Handle the Costs of Traumatic Brain Injury

When the boy hit the tree, a branch lodged itself in his skull and broke off. This injury has caused him to lose movement in his left side, and now doctors are trying to figure out if there is anything they can do to help the child. He is on a regimen of heavy antibiotics as doctors observe him to see if his body has a reaction to the piece of wood in his brain. If there is no reaction, then doctors will avoid undertaking a very risky brain surgery to remove the foreign object. Whether the doctors decide to operate, or leave the branch intact, the boy has a long road to recovery.

It’s estimated that the boy will be in rehab for at least six months. During that time the hospital will become the family’s second home. The mother and father both work to make ends meet, but one of them will have to quit work in order to look after their son at the hospital. The family is anticipating that their insurance may hit its limits leaving the family without enough financial resources to get by.

Is There Any Way for This Family to Make Ends Meet?

For now, the family is depending on friends and the kindness of strangers. One of the family’s close friends has started a crowdsourced fundraiser to help the family in their time of need, but there may be other options. Depending on the circumstances, the museum the family was visiting may be responsible for the medical expenses incurred by this boy’s injuries.

If the museum did not have proper safety railing, if the tree was not properly maintained, or if other safety measures were neglected the institution could be held responsible for injuries sustained by the boy. Though details are unknown in the case of this young boy, other families that find themselves in similar situations could benefit from contacting an attorney. An attorney could file a premises liability lawsuit, which could help struggling families get the financial resources they need to get by after sustaining a major injury.

For more information on your legal options when tragedy strikes your loved ones, keep following the Bay Area personal injury law firm of Mary Alexander and Associates, P.C.