January 25, 2010

Illinois Family Files Wrongful Death Suit for Fatal Brain Injury

Several weeks ago, the Daily Herald reported that an Illinois family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Kane County Circuit Court for the wrongful death of a 66-year-old woman from East Dundee. The woman suffered a fatal brain injury after being hit by a car as she crossed Route 31. According to the report of the pedestrian accident, the lawsuit alleges that the driver failed to drive safely or pay attention to the road. He was cited by police for failing to yield and failing to use due care.

Brain injuries are unfortunately all to common in car and pedestrian accidents throughout Illinois. In many instances, these injuries are fatal, or require years of recovery. To read more about this wrongful death lawsuit, follow the link provided.

January 10, 2010

Snowboarder Experiences Traumatic Brain Injury

Professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce endured a serious fall while training and now lies with a severe brain injury in critical care. His dreams of competing in the halfpipe seem gone, and his family is keeping vigil. He was working on a version of the “double cork” which is a twisting double back flip when he caught an edge and hit the icy pipe with his forehead. Kevin was knocked unconscious even though he was wearing a helmet. He had to be airlifted to the hospital where doctors told his family that he had sustained “a severe traumatic brain injury.” He needed to be intubated and was kept sedated. Doctors say that he is improving and is slowly regaining consciousness. They believe that he is improving faster than anticipated yet there is still a long recovery that lay ahead. To learn about the initial fall, please check out this link. To read about his updated recovery, please click the link.

January 5, 2010

Brain Injury Sidelines Aspiring Student

A young woman was driving down the road in Crystal Lake when she encountered a horrific automobile crash. This crash fractured her spine in three places and she suffered a traumatic brain injury. Many of the doctors thought that she would be paralyzed. However, the victim has a positive outlook and has been passing milestone after milestone. She recently entered Pioneer Center’s Traumatic Brain Injury program, which includes vocational training. She now has to relearn basic tasks which include walking. The victim continues to have some facial paralysis. She has also filed a brain injury lawsuit seeking $50,000. She is looking forward to speaking with children about the importance of safe driving. Hopefully she will in turn prevent brain injuries. To read more about the woman’s struggles, please click the link.

January 1, 2010

Passenger in Automobile Accident Suffers Brain Injury

The family of a St. Charles, Illinois student who died in a automobile crash is filing an automobile accident lawsuit against a classmate accused of driving drunk and causing the collision for more than $6 million. The 18 year old has pleaded not guilty in criminal court to multiple counts of aggravated drunken driving and reckless homicide in connection with the automobile crash. Another student in the care suffered a brain injury and fractured jaw. She has also filed a brain injury lawsuit claiming that the driver was negligent. Brain injuries are a common result of automobile crashes. To learn more about the fatal crash, please click the link.

December 25, 2009

US Bobsledder Suffers Brain Injury

Todd Hays’ brain injury could heal within three months and without surgery. He recently had to drop his U.S. Olympic bobsled bid to make the Vancouver Games and retired after learning the extent of brain damage he sustained in a training crash. The bobsledder will need further evaluation of the bleeding in his brain and will have to be monitored for weeks. He does have full neurological function at this point. He had to retire after being told that his brain injury was worse than the preliminary concussion diagnosis had originally thought. His teammates initially knew something was wrong after their bobsled crashed in a training run. The athlete was told by doctors that more trauma could cause irreversible brain damage. However, the chief medical officer advised him that if he rested now the brain could heal itself. Concussions are not uncommon in the sport of bobsledding. This case highlights the need to rest after a brain injury, especially in the unique circumstances of athletes. To read more about the bobsledder’s brain injury, please click the link.

December 20, 2009

Man Suffers Fatal Brain Injury in Workplace Accident

An employee for Horner Electric died after he suffered a traumatic brain injury while at work. According to Justice News Flash, police believe that the man suffered a brain injury that caused him to either fall or become crushed by the moving parts of a machine. The report states that the victim’s coworkers discovered him lying on the ground and called for emergency workers. When EMT workers arrived at the scene of the workplace accident, the victim was pronounced dead. Read the full coverage of this tragic brain injury accident.

December 12, 2009

Vineyard Settles With Teen Who Suffered Brain Injury

A teenager who suffered a serious brain injury in a 2006 car accident will receive $3 million from the Sonoma winery that served his underage friend beer at a wedding reception. Despite having no proper identification, the underage driver became intoxicated at the reception and crashed his car. The car accident led to his friend's lifelong injuries. The teens also received settlement money from a convenience store that supplied them with beer. According to the Mercury News, the brain injured teen will use the settlement funds for future care and to equip his home with assistive technology. Learn more about the brain injured teen's lawsuit by clicking the link.

November 30, 2009

College Football Player Receives $7.5 M in Brain Injury Settlement

23-year-old Preston Plevretes, a former college football player, reached a settlement with LaSalle University, four years after he suffered a serious brain injury during a football game. The personal injury settlement was reached for $7.5 million and will cover the young man’s ongoing medical care and treatments for life. In 2005, Plevretes was knocked unconscious and fell into a coma after a hit during a game. Doctors performed emergency surgery to reduce swelling in the brain, however they could not repair all of the damage and today he has difficulty walking and communicating. According to the lawsuit, Plevretes suffered a concussion several days before the game during practice. The plaintiff’s injury attorney contended that because the university did not treat the concussion, it left Plevretes’ brain in a vulnerable state. Plevretes’ attorney noted that when someone’s brain is already swollen, it can quickly swell up and can easily lead to a herniation. This is likely what caused his life-changing injury. To read the full report on this brain injury settlement, click on the hyperlinked text.

November 25, 2009

Chicago Boxer Suffers Fatal Brain Injury

According to the Chicago Tribune, a junior featherweight boxer from Chicago died two days after sustaining a severe brain injury during a boxing match. The fighter, who was just 25 years old, was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in the ring after a fight. According to reports, the boxer complained of being sleepy and then went limp. Although he was rushed to a hospital for emergency brain surgery, he never regained consciousness and later died. His family made the decision to donate his organs, and his uncle received one of the fallen fighter’s kidneys. Follow the link to learn more about this sports-related brain injury.

November 12, 2009

U.S. Representative Introduces Bill for Veterans with Brain Injuries

Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, recently introduced legislation that would help veterans suffering from brain injury. The Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Access to Care Act would allow veterans in rural areas access to better care and treatment for their injuries. Oftentimes, veterans are limited in where they can receive appropriate care, and are forced to travel long distances to select VA hospitals that have the proper technology to treat traumatic brain injury. According to the article on WHSV.com, twenty percent of the injuries to soldiers in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars involve some sort of brain injury, making access to proper treatment important to veterans across the country. To view the status of Capito’s bill to protect the victims of traumatic brain injury, follow the hyperlink.

November 6, 2009

Jury Awards $6.3 M to Woman Who Suffered Brain Damage After Surgery

A 59-year-old woman was awarded a $6.3 million verdict after a hospital’s negligence caused her to suffer irreversible brain damage. The treating physician and hospital’s negligence caused the woman to lose most of her short-term memory and her ability to speak. According to the medical malpractice lawyer who represented the victim, she must now live with her grown son and requires help with everyday activities such as eating and even chewing.

The woman went into the hospital for back surgery. The brain damage occurred after the surgery when hospital staff administered a dangerous mix of medications, creating serious respiratory problems. The hospital staff failed to intubate the victim in a timely manner, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain. The verdict included future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of consortium and loss of the ability to perform daily tasks. To access the full article on this medical malpractice verdict follow the link.

November 2, 2009

Police Settle $2.2 Million Brain Injury Lawsuit Settlement

A city council has agreed to pay $2.2 million to the family of a 14-year-old girl who was chocked by playground equipment. The 11-year-old girl was found unconscious hanging by the neck from a rope tied to a playground ride. She suffered an irreversible brain injury and remains in a vegetative state. The girls sued the police department because its officer who responded to the incident concluded that the victim was dead and did not attempt to resuscitate her or remove her from the rope. Instead the officer, after determining the girl had no pulse, began taking pictures of her as she was hanging by her neck. He then directed medical first responders not to disturb what he thought was a crime scene. The girl’s lawyers argued that these actions prevented her from being resuscitated for six to eight minutes until the paramedics arrived at the apartment. The delay made her brain injury much worse than it might have been. The parents will receive part of the brain injury settlement, but the largest portion will go to the victim’s special needs trust. The girl had suffered permanent brain damage and requires 24-hour medical care and lives in a skilled nursing facility. Her doctor estimated that she will live about 16 more years. To read more about the brain injury settlement, please click the link.