Brain injuries are often the most serious injuries we handle as attorneys. The brain, unlike the rest of the body, is generally not capable of regenerating cells that are lost due to injury. Since the brain controls neural and motor function, any injury that causes damage to it can actually affect your entire body. So, in reality, a brain injury can be much more than just a brain injury. Damage to the brain can change the way you live your life each day, and it may hinder your ability to participate in things you once enjoyed. Even basic functions such as speech, sight, consciousness, and coordination become problematic. In more severe cases you can develop seizure disorders if the damage is significant enough.
What causes a brain injury? Most often it is a heavy blow to the head that jolts the brain and causes it to ricochet around the skull and bruise that causes the damage. These devastating blows can come from sports, car accidents, falls, or any blow to the head that a victim may sustain. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 1.5 million people suffer from brain injuries each year and over the past decade the numbers have continued to increase.
When a client comes to our office with a brain injury we know how devastating the injury is not only to the client but also their family. We work with the client’s family, friends and doctors to make sure not only are they getting the proper legal representation but the best possible treatment as well.
When an accident occurs there are several symptoms that may indicate one has experience a traumatic brain injury:
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision
- Loss of Consciousness
- Unusual behavior or confusion
- Vomiting or nausea
- Headache
- Lack of coordination
- Dilated pupils
- Seizures
- Lack of sensation in fingers and toes
What types of brain injuries are there?
There are many types of brain injuries and many degrees of severity. A short list of brain injuries include:
- Anoxia: Generally occur when the brain does not receive enough oxygen. Cells need oxygen to survive and when oxygen is deprived the cells in the brain can be injured and die.
- Contusions: Usually a result of brain trauma. A contusion is a bleeding of the brain that often has to be removed by surgery.
- Skull Fractures: The skull is made to protect the brain. With severe impacts such as car accidents, motorcycle accidents, or trucking accidents the skull may be cracked by the severe impact.
- Epidural Hematomas (EDH): is an accumulation of blood between the inner table of the skull and stripped-off dural membrane. Usually this occurs when there is a specific blow to the head such as a baseball bat, car accident or other severe impact. In 85-95% of patients, this type of trauma results in a skull fracture as well.
- Subdural Hematomas: is a collection of blood between the layers of tissue that surround the brain. In a subdural hematoma, bleeding occurs between the dura and the next layer, the arachnoid. It is the most common intracranial mass lesion, occurring in about one third of severe head injuries.
- Diffuse Axonal injury: is a common type of severe brain injury. It is also one of the more devastating injuries. It is caused from the brain moving back and forth in the skull as a result of acceleration or deceleration. Typically these are caused by automobile accidents, sports, violence, slip and falls, and child abuse case.
What are the costs of having a Brain Injury?
The costs of having a brain injury can be tremendous. Many severe brain injuries require surgery to relieve the inflammation or repair the part of the brain that was injured in the accident. Rehabilitation costs can cost tens of thousands of dollars and many times are the most frustrating part of the injury. Relearning the most basic tasks such as reading and writing can be frustrating, time consume and expensive. Many clients must be put on prescription medications in order to improve or maintain function.
Don’t get stuck with a hospital bill you don’t deserve, contact the Krause & Kinsman Law Firm. We are dedicated to helping you recover to the best of your ability while not paying a cent of a hospital bill you don’t owe. With the increasing expense of medical care, it’s good to have lawyers like the ones at Krause & Kinsman who handle brain injury cases.
