The coma is best explained as a sleep state, where the patient does not wake or respond to stimuli. There are also comas where the patient might speak, walk or do other things that can appear to be voluntary actions, however they are not voluntary. Many coma patients come out of the coma within a few days or weeks, with some lasting as long as five weeks. Then there are a few coma patients that stay in a coma for years.
Physicians rate the coma state of a patient using the Glasgow Coma Scale, since all comas are not the same. The physician can use the Rancho Los Amigos Scale in the early hours or days of a coma. The use of the Glasgow Coma Scale will tell the physician how well the coma patient responds to stimuli with motor responses, eye movements and verbal response. The use of this scale will tell the physician how well the patient is doing by their score, with the higher score of 15 being fully awake. The patient that is in a deep coma could score as low as a 3 on this scale. These scores can help the physician know the amount of possible brain damage the patient will suffer once they are out of the coma and the care that will be required.
One of the serious consequences of the traumatic brain injury can be the coma, because while the victim is alive they are unable to respond to doctors and there is no way to predict when or if the brain injury victim will recover. This is a devastating time for the family that is filled with stressful decisions for the future health care of the victim. When the brain injury victim does come out of the coma the family is also faced with the extensive therapy and other medical care they will need to be able to live as normal of a life as possible.
When a loved one has fallen into a coma due a brain injury at another person’s carelessness or negligence it can be financially and emotionally devastating. The family of the brain injury victim has the right to hold this negligent party responsible for the brain injury. This means being able to seek compensation for the medical bills and future medical care that will be needed, along with companionship, loss of salary and other losses. The Ehline Law attorneys are compassionate about protecting the brain injury victim’s rights and respect the emotional stress the family is under. They will aggressively fight for the maximum amount of compensation and hold the negligent party responsible.