Many types of injuries have predictable healing times. They may vary a bit depending on the severity, but the doctor can typically tell you how long it will take to recover after something like surgery to repair a broken arm. You know what to expect and when things should go back to normal if there are no complications.
With brain injuries, however, things are a lot more unpredictable. For one thing, doctors are not always sure how much healing will take place or what skills you’re going to regain. They may not be sure if you’re going to heal at all, and they certainly can’t make any guarantees.
Additionally, predicting a timeframe for brain healing can be difficult. Even when the doctor thinks that you will make some level of recovery, they may not know if it will take weeks, months or even years for you to get there. This is not usually a short-term process when compared to other types of injuries.
Why do these complications arise?
One reason for these complications, and a reason that medical teams aren’t always sure what outcome to expect, is that neuroscientists are always learning more about the brain. This is simply a relatively new area of science and predictions are getting better the more information that becomes available. But we still know relatively little, compared to other organs, which can make treatment more difficult.
It’s also true that the brain itself is unpredictable. Since it can’t regenerate cells, this makes it have a limited ability to repair itself by finding new neural pathways. Some injuries are able to be completely overcome with these new neural pathways, while others are not. This means every case is going to be unique. One person may never walk again, another may regain basic motor skills and a third may never lose those skills to begin with – even when all three injuries appear similar.
Seeking compensation
It is important to look into all of your legal options if you have suffered a brain injury and you are facing high costs. This is especially true when you may need rehabilitation and other types of long-term care.