BRAIN INJURIES
If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, you may be entitled to a cash settlement. You may be entitled to damages for your vocational rehabilitation, physical therapy, neuropsychological testing, pain and suffering, medical bills, lost earnings and other expenses. We are aggressive personal injury lawyers who represent injured victims for a contingent fee, which means that we only charge a fee if we win you a judgment or a cash settlement. Call the Levinson Law Group at 1-866-643-HURT (4878) today for a free consultation.
Brain injuries are especially serious. The brain controls everything we say, do, think and feel. The brain controls the functions that keep our bodies alive: breathing, circulation, digestion, hormones and the immune system. Our personal injury lawyers are experienced in dealing with the difficult issues involved in brain injury cases.
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Definitions:
“Acquired brain injury” refers to any type of brain damage that occurs after birth. It can include damage sustained by infection, disease, lack of oxygen or a blow to the head. Acquired brain injuries are also caused by some medical conditions, including strokes, encephalitis, aneurysms, anoxia (lack of oxygen during surgery, drug overdose, or near drowning), metabolic disorders, meningitis or brain tumors.
A “traumatic brain injury” is considered a form of acquired brain injury. A traumatic brain injury is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that causes the brain to move within the skull, or if the force causes the skull to break and directly impact the brain. Many individuals that suffer from “traumatic brain injuries” are victims of car accidents. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in traumatic brain injuries. The seriousness of such an injury may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in the mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A traumatic brain injury can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.
Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury:
A traumatic brain injury occurs every twenty-one seconds. Traumatic brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States. Around the world, over ten million traumatic brain injuries occur annually, resulting in serious injury or death.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, each year a projected 1.5 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury. Of the 1.5 million:
- 50,0000 people die each year
- 230,000 people are hospitalized annually and survive
- 80,000 of these survivors live with significant disabilities as a result of the injury
The cumulative result is that today an estimated 5.3 million people – 2% of the U.S. population – are living with a permanent traumatic brain injury-related disability
The leading causes of traumatic brain injury are:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents account for 50% of all traumatic brain injuries
- Violence, Assaults
- Falls – the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among the elderly
The Center for Disease Control found that concussions in sporting events are severely underestimated. Most studies only take into account those injuries that result in a loss of consciousness. However, this only takes into account approximately 8 to 19% of all concussions that occur in sports. The Center for Disease Control estimates that there can be as many as 1.6 million to three million sports-related traumatic brain injuries each year.
The risk is highest among children, young adults and persons older than 75 years. The risk to males is twice the risk among females. In 1980, a group of people whose family members had sustained brain injuries formed the Brain Injury Association of America. The Brain Injury Association of America was formed to improve the lives of those who have been affected by brain injuries. The Association has expanded across the nation with over forty chartered state affiliates and hundreds of local chapters and support groups.
Consequences:
Traumatic brain injuries have both short-term and long-term effects. Traumatic brain injury can result in long-term or lifelong physical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional consequences. Traumatic brain injuries requiring hospitalization cost the nation about $56.3 billion each year. Roughly one in four adults with a traumatic brain injury are unable to return to work one year after the injury. Traumatic brain injuries are capable of causing a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, sensation, language and emotions. Traumatic brain injuries can also cause epilepsy and increase the threat for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.
Prevention is the only cure for a brain injury. Recovering from a brain injury depends on the brain’s plasticity, the brain’s ability for other areas of the brain to take over the functions for the damaged areas, and on hard work from the patient and the rehabilitation team to strengthen the remaining abilities to make best use of functionality.
Signs and Symptoms:
Some symptoms are apparent immediately, while others do not surface until several days or weeks after the injury. With a mild traumatic brain injury, the patient may remain conscious or may lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. The person may also feel dazed or not like him or herself for several days or weeks after the initial injury. Other symptoms include:
- headache
- mental confusion
- lightheadedness
- dizziness
- double vision, blurred vision or tired eyes
- ringing in the ears
- bad taste in the mouth
- fatigue or lethargy
- a change in sleep patterns
- behavioral or mood changes
- trouble with memory, concentration or calculation
- symptoms may remain the same or get better; worsening symptoms indicate a more severe injury
With moderate or severe traumatic brain injury, the patient may show these same symptoms, but may also have:
- loss of consciousness
- personality change
- a severe, persistent or worsening headache
- repeated vomiting or nausea
- seizures
- inability to awaken
- dilation of one or both pupils
- slurred speech
- weakness or numbness in the extremities
- loss of coordination
- increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
- vomiting and neurological deficit (e.g. weakness in a limb)
It is important to seek representation from a qualified and experienced personal injury lawyer experienced in brain injury cases as soon as possible following a brain injury accident. Your time is limited when it comes to asserting a claim, so it is important to obtain counsel as soon as possible. At the Levinson Law Group, our attorneys know brain injury cases and you can have the best legal representation available for no money out of your pocket. We work on a contingent fee and offer a free consultation. We will fight to get you the justice you deserve. Call the Levinson Law Group at 1-866-643-HURT (4878) to schedule a free consultation today.
