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Returning to Work After Suffering a Brain Injury

By Butler Prather LLP on July 7, 2021

Workers in Georgia and throughout the United States can suffer from traumatic brain injuries as a result of an on-the-job accident. There are those employed in various industries that face higher risks of sustaining these injuries, whether from a slip and fall accident or from falling objects striking them on the head. From relatively mild concussions to moderate or severe brain injuries, workers have to understand that these types of injuries can lead to serious, long-term consequences.

Depending on how severe brain injury is and the effectiveness of medical treatment, an employee may or may not be able to return to the same position at work. In fact, there are times when an individual may not be able to return to work at all after a brain injury.

Evaluating the Brain Injury Damage

Traumatic brain injuries can occur anytime a person sustains a blow to the head or a jolt that causes their body to move back and forth rapidly. This can lead to brain bleeds, inflammation of the brain, or brain bruising. These injuries can occur in a wide variety of ways in the workplace, but any type of injury to this area of the body can lead to significant short- or long-term consequences. Traumatic brain injuries can cause a person to experience problems with:

  • Understanding language, reading, and writing
  • Remembering events, activities, or times
  • Focusing on tasks, including organization and problem solving
  • Communications with others
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle coordination

Those who suffer from traumatic brain injuries can have reoccurring nausea, vomiting, and headaches, as well as various other physical abnormalities. All of the symptoms mentioned above can make it very difficult for a person to work in certain positions, if at all.

The Possibility of Getting Back to Work

When trying to ascertain whether or not a person can or should return to work after they sustain a traumatic brain injury, it is important to understand that consultations with healthcare professionals are an absolute must. In fact, an employer is unlikely to allow a person to return to work unless they are cleared to do so by a physician.

When we look at the information available from BrainLine.org, we can see that there are various factors that can increase a person’s likelihood of returning to work following a brain injury. When employers offer the following, brain injury victims have an easier time transitioning back into the workplace with a more successful rate of return:

  • Counseling
  • On the job training
  • Career placement services
  • A positive work environment

Contacting a Brain Injury Attorney

Any person who has sustained an on-the-job brain injury should never return to work until cleared to do so. One of the main reasons that brain injury victims feel pressured to return to work is that they think they will not have the money they need to pay their medical bills or everyday expenses. Brain injury victims will almost always qualify for workers’ compensation benefits to cover their medical bills and most of their lost wages while they recover.

It is incredibly impwortant to work with a skilled brain injury lawyer in Atlanta who can help victims recover the compensation they need until they have recovered enough to either return to work or until it is determined that they qualify for long-term disability benefits so they can secure another source of compensation.

Posted in: Head Injury


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