What Programs Exist to Help People with Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can happen for a variety of reasons – motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, falls, war injuries, blunt force trauma and stroke. Traumatic brain injuries are common and often require a challenging rehabilitation.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, about 5.3 million Americans are living with a long-term disability from a TBI. Fortunately, there are programs to help individuals with brain injuries, and funding for research on TBIs has never been stronger.

As for federal programs, the TBI Reauthorization Act of 2014 and the BRAIN Initiative provide help and research for individuals with brain injuries.

The TBI Reauthorization Act of 2014 allows several federal health agencies to collect data to make existing brain injury programs more effective. For example, the Health and Human Services might conduct a study on veterans with TBIs to find out how best to help them. This law is directly responsible for providing resources to many programs that individuals with TBIs will use. Examples are rehabilitation programs at hospitals and research initiatives at universities.

In 2013, the BRAIN Initiative was signed into law to fund a national effort to study the human brain. Scientists studying the brain through the BRAIN Initiative hope to treat TBIs using advanced technology in the near future.

For example, UC San Diego directly benefited from the BRAIN Initiative by receiving funding to map brain circuitry. As of last year, UC San Diego has received eight separate grants from the program.

How Can People in San Diego Get Help for Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Local help is also available for San Diego and California residents with TBIs. The Brain Injury Association of California (BIAC) provides financial support and advocacy for individuals with TBIs. Organizations like the BIAC can help individuals with TBIs and families connect with local support groups.

Recovering from a traumatic brain injury can be an expensive situation for an individual or family. Accident survivors should contact an attorney to explore options for pursuing compensation for injuries.

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Bonnici Law Group, APCSan Diego Injury Attorney

Did You Know?: DARPA, the organization tasked with developing advanced weapons for the military, has been testing new TBI treatments.