Litigation

VA Recognizes Disability From Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries

By Michael Kaplen

The VA is finally recognizing that persons suffering from the effects of a mild traumatic brain injury can have permanent disabilities that impede their ability to work. This has some very important implications that hopefully will filter down to other government programs such as social security disability benefits, and workers compensation.  Hopefully these new regulations will also influence private disability insurance companies, no fault insurance companies and other providers of benefits.

The VA acknowledged yesterday that mild traumatic brain injury is a disabling condition which can have permanent impairments.  In recognizing the post concussion impairments that are frequently found following a mild brain injury, the government further acknowledged that the fact that these injuries do not show up on MRI or CT studies does not mean they are not real and the the patient is not accurately reporting their symptoms. 

Read more about the increased VA benefits following a mild traumatic brain injury by clicking here. You can also read the report carried in USA Today by clicking here.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on September 24, 2008 (boomark / email).