Head Injuries and Concussions

A traumatic head injury is one of the most common forms of personal injury. There are several different types of accidents that can cause head injuries including but not limited to car accidents, slip and falls, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents. In fact, slip and falls are the number one cause of a head injury in the United States.

COMMON TYPES OF A HEAD INJURY

CONCUSSION (MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY)

Concussion and mild traumatic brain injury (or “MTBI”) are common injuries. In spite of its abbreviated name, this injury can have serious consequences. Although a MTBI can occur as a result of any number of accidents, general knowledge about brain injuries is not nearly as accurate as it should be. In order to protect yourself and your loved ones from receiving such injuries, and to make sure that such injuries are properly diagnosed and treated, it is important to understand precisely what concussions are.

If you or family member has the misfortune to suffer a concussion that is the fault of another, you should seek legal, as well as medical, advice because the law allows you to be compensated for your medical care, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at California Trial Law Group, PC are well-prepared to assist you in pursuing a lawsuit to make sure that you receive the damages you deserve. We have a fine track record of successful settlements as well as positive courtroom verdicts.

DEFINING CONCUSSION

A concussion results from a mechanical force or trauma to the head, characterized by immediate and transient alteration in brain function. You needn’t lose consciousness to indicate that you have suffered a concussion, though your level of consciousness may be temporarily altered. In the majority of cases, patients who suffer concussions do not lose consciousness, so it is possible to be unaware that you have had a MTBI. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over one and a half million people suffer MTBIs each year; the agency has designated the problem as an epidemic. While every year over one million patients are treated in ERs and released, about a quarter of a million of those affected require hospitalization.

CAUSES OF CONCUSSION

There are a number of causes for brain injuries, including slip and fall accidents, intentional or accidental blows to the head, sports injuries and car accidents. MTBIs can also occur as a result of the upper body being violently shaken, as in shaken baby syndrome. Even a “mild” traumatic injury can result in neurological and/or psychological problems.

DIAGNOSIS OF CONCUSSIONS

Computerized Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are used to detect areas of bleeding in the brain, but are not sensitive enough to detect nerve damage. Because not all concussions can be diagnosed by imaging scans, it is important that other tests be used by careful medical professionals to assess symptoms. It is also important for patients to be retested to make sure they haven’t developed new symptoms over time. This is particularly true of brain swelling which may take days to develop.

SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION

You may suffer some or all of the following symptoms as a result of a concussion:

• Headaches, dizziness, blurry vision
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Fatigue, sleepiness
• Vomiting,, ringing in the ears, slurred speech
• Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, impaired judgment, confusion
• Fainting, problems with physical coordination and/or balance
• Mood swings and irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• PTSD and anxiety
• TMJ Disorders

Most of the time symptoms appear soon after the incident, but in some cases a patient appears fine and develops symptoms days, weeks, months, or even years afterward. When this happens the condition may initially be diagnosed as post-concussion syndrome.

WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CONCUSSION

As personal injury attorneys, California Trial Law Group are aware of many ways in which someone else may bear responsibility for your MTBI because they have:

• Caused you to be injured in a vehicular accident
• Caused you to fall on a dangerous surface by failing to maintain property safely(premises liability)
• Was responsible for unsafe working conditions that caused your injury
• Assaulted you deliberately
• Shook your upper body violently

In any of the above situations, we may be able to file a lawsuit against the party who, through intention or negligence, caused you harm.

Damages for Concussion Injuries

Our personal injury attorneys have a well-earned reputation. We seek both economic and non-economic injuries for our clients. The former are compensation for actual financial losses: medical and rehabilitative costs, lost wages (present and future), and property damage (e.g. in a car accident). The latter are intangible injuries such as physical pain and mental distress. On occasion, when the defendant has behaved particularly badly, by committing an assault for example, our skilled attorneys may be able to obtain punitive damages for you as well as compensatory ones.

HOW OUR DEDICATED HEAD INJURY ATTORNEYS CAN HELP

It is difficult enough to cope with a head injury involving a concussion without having to deal with the related insurance and legal matters. Come to California Trial Law Group where our knowledgeable, highly capable attorneys will take over all logistical aspects of your case? Once we meet with you for your free initial consultation, we will work efficiently and effectively while you focus on recovering from your trauma. We will work diligently to obtain you every bit of compensation you deserve; you will owe us nothing until we do. You can reach our office by telephone or be filling out a contact form on our website.