What doctors and care providers help you recover from a South Carolina traumatic brain injury?

Survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) from South Carolina accidents often need a dedicated team to help overcome these potentially devastating injuries. The treatment can be long term, and we know information is power, so here’s a list of providers you might expect to see.

The Most Important Members of the Team: the Survivor and the Family

Without a doubt, you’re the most vital member of the team. For the survivor, all efforts are focused on returning you to a normal life. This may be the fight of your life, and it’s worth fighting for.

The importance of family support can’t be understated. It goes far beyond showing up for appointments. Due to the survivor’s limitations, you may be the key decision-maker in medical matters that can impact not just treatment, but the survivor’s future.

Yes, it’s about relentless love—but take some time for yourself, too. Get rest—you’ll need it for the long haul.

If you need help with a potential South Carolina accident case from your brain injury, we can take that load off you. We'll answer your questions in a free, no pressure strategy session with a Spartanburg, SC personal injury attorney. Call toll free at 888-230-1841 or fill out a Get Help Now form.

Brain Injury Doctors

TBI can bring a host of doctors to help repair and heal your brain. Here are the medical staff who’ll help you along the way, courtesy of the Air Force Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia:

• Neurosurgeon. To assess physical brain damage, you’ll likely need a brain surgeon, even if you don’t require an operation. They evaluate the damage to the brain using scans and other tests. They may oversee procedures like skull removal to allow for brain swelling and intracranial pressure monitoring to assure the swelling doesn’t get to dangerous levels.
• Neurologist. Think of neurologists as brain doctors who don’t operate. They diagnose and treat conditions related to the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The neurologist could be the captain of your ship.
• Neuropsychologist. These board-certified psychologists have specialized training in brain function. Their evaluations help assess the survivor’s ability to make financial, legal, and medical decisions, plus evaluate their prospects for returning to home, school, and work.
• Physiatrist. Also known as a “rehabilitation doctor,” these doctors handle post-acute care, as you begin to recover from the injury and work towards returning to life. The physiatrist usually leads the rehab team, making referrals to various other therapists and specialists to address your needs. You should expect the physiatrist to work closely with the patient, the family, and the entire rehab team to develop a comprehensive plan to return the survivor to normal life—or as close to it as possible.
• Primary care provider. Your regular doctor should be kept involved with your condition as you return to him for regular checkups and overall health management.
• Counselor and psychologist. These providers can help survivors and their families confront the challenges brought on by brain injury.
• Psychiatrist. These doctors diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders that can be brought on by brain injury, including understandable depression and anxiety.

Other Therapists on the Brain Injury Care Team

Never forget the nurses! These are generally the frontline in your care and an important voice for any doctor or specialists, so make sure they hear yours. Here are other individuals who may also be part of the team:

• Case manager/social worker. These hospital employees help manage care and work with your health insurance or your employer’s workers’ comp insurance to get medical bills paid. They can help make sure you get proper care, help you find needed services, and provide other resources.
• Physical therapist. Physical therapy helps you reclaim your strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, coordination, and muscle function.
• Occupational therapist. Occupational therapy helps you overcome challenges to activities of daily living, like eating, bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom, getting up and down, and using a wheelchair or other medical equipment.  
• Speech pathologist. These professionals evaluate and treat communication, cognitive, and swallowing disorders. They help you understand what you hear, speak clearly, think of words, and address reading and writing problems. They also help with cognitive issues like attention, thinking, memory, and interacting with others.

You Need a Legal Team Member

Despite the best medical care, TBI survivors face a long road that may be littered with lingering or permanent effects. If you or a family member sustained a brain injury in an accident or at work, the stakes may be very high for you, and that includes your workers' compensation rights.

You’ve hopefully surrounded yourself with a medical care team you trust to protect and preserve your ability to recover medically. You should take just as much care to surround yourself with a legal team you trust to help you recover legally, to get a South Carolina brain injury accident settlement or workers' comp settlement. If you’ve got questions about how we can help protect you legally for a brain injury from a South Carolina accident, contact our Spartanburg accident injury lawyers- call toll free 888-230-1841 or fill out a  Get Help Now form.