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TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURY LAWYERS

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of head injuries, accounting for approximately 50 -- 60% of TBI; motorcycle accidents claim responsibility for about 20% of transportation-related head injuries; approximately 12% of transportation-related head injuries are due to bicycle accidents; falling accidents also make up a fair amount of all victims suffering from head injuries. Brain damage may also result from a lack of oxygen supply to the brain, known as "anoxia," which occurs in incidents such as drowning. Damage to the brain results when there is a lack of blood supply to the brain, as seen in a "stroke." People with multiple injuries (as in a serious auto accident) often suffer brain injury by more than one of these mechanisms.

The cost of medical care rendered to victims of brain and spinal cord injury ranges from $1.5 -- 4 million dollars. Acute care, rehabilitation, and loss of productivity are included in this estimate. Head injury is a very significant cause of injury and death among children: Nearly 60% of all deaths among children aged between 1 to 19 years are due to injuries related to the head. Head and spinal cord injury are most prevalent in those ranging from adolescence to the mid-20's: Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 years are the highest at risk for sustaining head and spinal cord injuries. The most common causes of head and spinal cord injuries in the 5 to 24 age group are: motor vehicle accidents, falls, and bicycle mishaps.


  

In traumatic head injury the brain may be injured in a specific location or the injury may be diffused to many different parts of the brain. We can make guesses about the nature of the injuries an individual may have sustained from knowing the types of problems damage in that area can cause, conversely knowing where the injury is located can alert you to the types of difficulties to expect. Diagnostic procedures such as CT scans and MRI's can also provide information about a brain injury. The brain has many parts including the cerebral cortex, brain stem, and cerebellum. It is this indefinite nature of brain injury that makes treatment unique for each individual patient. It is important to understand that the brain functions as a whole by interrelating its component parts. The injury may only disrupt a particular step of an activity that occurs in a specific part of the brain. The interruption of that activity at any particular step, or out of sequence, can reveal the problems associated with the injury.

The occurrence of a TBI-causing accident usually results in immediate, dramatic upheaval of all aspects of the victim's life - family, work and social relations can be severed in this process. Indeed, as a TBI victim struggles to remain alive, the lives of his immediate (and sometimes, extended) family members undergoes a similar transformation - the demands of caring for a TBI victim and his/her family can cause sudden and dramatic changes in lifestyle. Fortunately, there are people who can help -- medical professionals with specific training and experience in TBI, physical, occupational and speech therapists to deal with the long-term effect of brain injury, case workers to help facilitate programs and benefits to assist victims and family members, and attorneys who specialize in TBI (Bold should provide link to: www.counselseek.com) and the types of accidents that result in brain injury. Family members of TBI victims must be vigilant in the protection of the victim's legal rights , immediate and long-term medical care, and benefits available through federal, state and privately-funded agencies.

  
         
  The following is a list of the various regions of the brain, and the functions controlled by the respective region:    

CEREBRAL CORTEX

Occipital Lobes:
Most posterior, at the back of the head.


Functions:

  • Vision

Temporal Lobes:
Side of head above ears


Functions:

  • Hearing ability
  • Memory acquisition
  • Some visual perceptions
  • Categorization of objects

BRAIN STEM

Deep in Brain, leads to spinal cord.

Functions:

  • Breathing
  • Heart Rate
  • Swallowing
  • Reflexes to seeing and hearing.
  • Controls sweating, blood pressure, digestion, temperature.
  • Affects level of alertness.
  • Ability to sleep.
  • Sense of balance.

CEREBELLUM

Located at the base of the skull.

Functions:

  • Coordination of voluntary movement
  • Balance and equilibrium
  • Some memory for reflex motor acts

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Occipital Lobes:
Observed Problems:

  • Defects in vision.
  • Difficulty with locating objects in environment.
  • Difficulty with identifying colors.
  • Production of hallucinations
  • Visual illusions - inaccurately seeing objects.
  • Word blindness - inability to recognize words.
  • Difficulty in recognizing drawn objects.
  • Inability to recognize the movement of an object.

Temporal Lobes:
Observed Problems:

  • Difficulty in recognizing faces.
  • Difficulty in understanding spoken words.
  • Disturbance with selective attention to what we see and hear.
  • Difficulty with identification of, and verbalization about objects.
  • Short-term memory loss.
  • Interference with long-term memory
  • Increased or decreased interest in sexual behavior.
  • Inability to categorize objects.
  • Right lobe damage can cause persistent talking.
  • Increased aggressive behavior.

BRAIN STEM:
Observed Problems:

  • Decreased vital capacity in breathing, important for speech.
  • Swallowing food and water.
  • Difficulty with organization/perception of the environment.
  • Problems with balance and movement.
  • Dizziness and nausea.
  • Sleeping difficulties (Insomnia, sleep apnea).

CEREBELLUM:
Observed Problems:

  • Dizziness and nausea.
  • Difficulty controlling limbs (e.g. walking, writing).
  • Unable to react quickly to certain stimuli