Medical research into traumatic brain injury (TBI) has come a long way over the last few decades. Did you or a loved one suffer a blow or jolt to the head and now seek legal counsel?
That’s why our vaunted brain injury lawyers in Los Angeles are here. We know that doctors can now better understand the impact of an injury on the brain and nerve fibers, its effects on the patient, and its long-term consequences. Medical professionals are now better equipped to assess a TBI patient using different techniques and methods documenting brain functions, such as the Glasgow Coma Scale.
A patient suffering from a TBI due to someone else’s negligence may suffer a change in eating or nursing habits, other unusual behavior, or even die from a brain-caused subarachnoid hemorrhage. The surviving victims can claim total and fair compensation to cover medical bills, lost income, and other damages to the nervous system. However, from a legal standpoint, claims for TBIs are challenging to calculate, and the injuries are often difficult to prove without immediate medical attention.
Any increased intracranial pressure may damage brain tissue, blocking blood flow. That’s where our supremely confident and charismatic legal team comes into play. Call us today to discuss compensatory strategies to reimburse you for your cognitive problems, long-term complications, or persistent vegetative state.
Have You or a Loved One Been in an Accident Causing Traumatic Brain Injury?
At Ehline Law, we have extensive experience dealing with severely altered consciousness and serious TBI cases across California. If you received mild injuries or a TBI with neurological disorders from an accident that was not your fault, contact Ehline Law. Our traumatic brain injury attorneys are available today for a free consultation.
Do you have persistent ringing in the ears? Are you suffering from dementia symptoms far too early in life? Our superior lawyer team helps children and older adults suffering a closed or open head injury get back on their feet.
The Three Levels of Brain Injury
There are two types of brain injury:
- Primary and
- Secondary brain injury.
A primary part of the brain injury is not a fully complete injury and occurs suddenly, for example, brain injuries from car accidents. Secondary brain injury occurs after some time (this could be a few hours or even days) and is the changes to the brain during this time. A secondary injury could be a complication as a result of brain swelling or an accumulation of blood pressure from aneurysms. Oxygen supply can be reduced, causing double vision and other disorders.
A car accident can damage the meninges that carry the cerebrospinal fluid, causing it to leak, leading to a secondary injury after a few days of receiving a mild head injury (non-fatal TBI.). An injury to the brain can occur from a brain tissue injury, but the majority of cases of TBI are because of the damage to the blood vessels since they are critical for normal brain functioning. Damage to the blood vessels can cause a stroke, blood clot, and other problems leading to brain trauma diagnosis.
TBI is also divided into three levels: mild, moderate, and severe, affecting different parts of the brain, including nerve cell focal injuries. Many TBI patients start their journey in the emergency room as young adults from sports head trauma. Often, these youngsters suffer lifelong slow thinking and problems with cognitive functions and their overall mental status and cognitive impairment.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
This is a mild injury that can lead to concussions and headaches (closed head injury from playing sports, etc.). Victims of mild TBI accidents also exhibit memory problems, an inability to concentrate, confusion, and balancing issues. Although a few days of rest is more than enough to recover from a mild traumatic injury, brain damage, or concussion, ultimately, multiple concussions increase the chances of receiving more serious injuries like future nerve damage or a subdural hematoma.
Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury
This type of injury and post-concussion syndrome can take longer to heal. Typically, the symptoms from these injuries last up to a year or more, causing the patient to spiral into depression and anxiety.
Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
This type of TBI is really serious. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these types of injuries include skull fractures, diffuse axonal injury, and any injury that pierces the skull. Patients with such injuries can dive into a coma or, even worse, die. Repeated head traumas can also lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which refers to severe brain degeneration. (think shaken baby syndrome and lack of self-awareness.).
Medical professionals must start treatment for severe TBI patient’s injury prevention s immediately. A moderate or severe TBI symptoms include difficulty understanding, concentration problems, memory loss, loss of brain function (called brain death), brain disabilities, diffuse injuries, and further brain damage.
The long-term effects of a TBI increase a patient’s chances of dying from other diseases. People suffering from a TBI are:
- 50 times more likely to die from seizures.
- 11 times more likely to die from drug poisoning.
- Nine times more likely to die from infections.
- Six times more likely to die of pneumonia.
The Top 6 Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States
In the United States, there are more than 1.7 million TBI cases and about 61,000 TBI-related deaths in and out of the operating room. Let’s explore the country’s six most common causes of TBI over an extended period.
Falls/Slips
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research studies, almost half of the TBI cases in the United States result from a fall or a slip where the head was affected. Whether walking on an icy road or at a local convenience shop, a fall to the head can occur anywhere, causing a head injury, skull fracture, or TBI.
Firearm-related Suicide
In the United States, firearm deaths and injuries are now a public health problem. According to 2019 statistics, six out of ten deaths were firearm suicides. Those surviving the gunshot wounds sustained traumatic head injuries and even damage to their brain tissue and nerve cells.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle crashes remain the second leading cause of TBI in the country, contributing to more than 17% of all TBIs. The violent impact of the accident on the head can cause a severe head injury or TBI. These types of brain injuries are often closed-head and may be difficult to diagnose just by looking at them.
Victims must immediately receive a medical examination to diagnose any brain injuries following the incident. Car accidents can cause multiple injuries, including blood clots, since the force from the accident can impact different parts of the body at the same time. It is possible to suffer a TBI along with a spinal cord injury from a motor vehicle accident.
Assaults or Intentional Violence
Any impact to the head can cause an injury, affecting normal brain function and reducing the quality of life. Assaults and intentional violence, including domestic violence, abuse, and battery, can immediately lead to open-head wounds requiring severe medical attention, even in mild cases (think mood swings and violent shaking of a child, etc.).
Sports Injuries
Sports-related accidents are the leading cause of concussions in the country. These types of accidents are common in intentional contact sports where other players or parties are involved, such as wrestling, rugby, football, and more. However, CT scans show accidents like this can also occur in non-contact sports or sports where there is no direct contact with other people, such as track and gymnastics.
Medical Malpractice
A human brain requires a constant flow of oxygen and blood supply for normal functioning. Restricting oxygen and blood to the brain and dura matter can lead to brain cells dying and a slow collapse of bodily functions. Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Any medical error, such as administering excessive anesthesia, wrong medication, or surgery that went wrong, can cause serious brain damage.
This fact means the victim has a higher chance of becoming permanent if the medical professionals don’t notice this; like poor eye movement, slurred speech, an increase in pressure or loss from blood thinners, etc., a gradual loss can lead to moderate to severe damage soon.
Get in Touch with an Attorney for Your TBI
If you or your close family members received TBI damage to the brain that was the fault of another, contact us at (213) 596 9642 to speak to our experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys and a cerebral contusion today.
Our severe brain injury attorneys can help you take the right steps in documenting your accident and injuries, making the road to financial recovery quick. Contact us now or visit any of our law offices to receive a free consultation with a legal expert after suffering similar symptoms today!
