Sometimes serious injuries result from accidents. Think of a spinal cord injury, brain injury or whiplash Injury that causes complaints and limitations. Fortunately, more and more technological tools are being developed that reduce or even avoid limitations!
Technological aids for physical limitations
When a personal injury victim suffered an accident with serious injury in the past, there were many limitations. A victim who, for example, had to have a leg amputated due to an occupational accident (Dutch: letselschade bedrijfsongeval), used to be dependent of a wheelchair for his life. Eventually there was a prosthesis, but walking with this artificial leg was difficult and it was visible that someone had a prosthesis.
Technological developments now offer new possibilities for personal injury victims who have a leg amputated. For example, there are now developments in micro and nanotechnology whereby the prosthesis can be connected to the nerves of the victim. It is even possible that the brain accepts the prosthesis as a real bone, resulting in a natural prosthesis. This is a wonderful technology that is under development. Technology therefore helps to increase people's self-reliance after an accident. Much is expected from neuroprostheses and even brain-computer interfacing.
The aforementioned technical developments can help victims of an industrial accident or traffic accident to resume life after the accident! This is not only physical progress, but also ensures that people feel better mentally because they can participate more in society.
Damage limitation in the event of injury due to technological developments
Technology is of great importance to victims of injuries after an accident. The care as indicated above for greater freedom of movement and participation in society. Think not only of prostheses, but also wheelchairs that make it possible to drive on the beach or in the forest, household aids and speech computers for people with nerve injuries that prevent them from operating a keyboard or computer mouse.
All new products that increase the self-reliance of personal injury victims also have the advantage that they have a harm-reducing effect. This ensures that personal injury insurers have to pay less compensation.
An example: someone suffers a nerve injury following an occupation accident, as a result of which he can no longer write and type. In the past, someone would be declared completely unfit for work as a result. The personal injury insurer must then compensate the loss of income. These are huge amounts! By means of a speech computer someone can make and process texts again. The victim of the industrial accident can then continue to work, which saves a lot of money for the insurer of the liable party!
Technology therefore helps both parties in a personal injury case. A victim's self-reliance is significantly increased. On the other hand, the insurer of the liable party saves a lot of money, so that the insurance premiums remain low or can even be reduced!
