As many people know, a brain injury can change a person's life forever. From possible memory and speech issues to complete disability, the severity of a brain injury oftentimes dictates the quality of life an individual will have after an accident.
Catching brain injuries early is highly recommended, but testing for the severity of a brain injury isn't always conclusive. In the end, it may be challenging to determine how much an injury will affect the victim, which can complicate negotiations for compensation later on.
But with the recent go-ahead from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, some are hoping that testing for the severity of a brain injury will become easier down the road. That's because the FDA has given the nod to the manufacturer of two devices, ImPACT and ImPACT Pediatric, which may be able to assess the effect a brain injury has on an individual better than current methods.
Although the software is not intended to act as a diagnostic tool, it does give doctors a way to compare a patient's current cognitive state following a head injury to baseline readings (if possible) from the patient prior to an accident. Using this data, doctors can better assess the impact of an injury and hopefully offer better treatment options as a result.
In addition to doctors, accident victims living with a brain injury, as well as family members of those left severely disabled by a brain injury, may find the two new software programs incredibly helpful when seeking fair compensation after an accident.
A better assessment of how a brain injury has impacted a victim means a better understand of what the victim has lost in terms of quality of life and their ability to work. In the end, this could lead to more accurate settlements that truly take into account a victim's current and future needs.