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March 26, 2010

Bicycle Safety Prevents Serious Head Injury

Warm weather is just around the corner, and with it, plenty of children wanting to take out their bicycles. But before letting their children go for a ride around the neighborhood, parents should take easy precautions to make sure their children stay safe and do not suffer a serious head injury. The Children’s Safety Network notes that 196 children under the age of 15 die each year as a result of bicycle-related brain injuries, about 8,900 are hospitalized, and 344,000 are treated and released from emergency departments.

Prevention starts with simply wearing a bicycle helmet. Although parents report that 85% of children who own bicycle helmets wear them, only about 15% of children aged 14 and younger wear helmets.

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute also notes that using a bicycle helmet significantly reduces the risk of a serious head injury as well. Wearing a bicycle helmet prevents 52% to 60% of bicycle-related head injury deaths and also prevents 68% to 85% of nonfatal head and scalp injuries. These head injuries can be very severe. Serious head injuries as a result of bicycle accident can include permanent disabilities affecting a child’s ability to work once they become an adult and can also result in life-long medical treatment and expenses.

Sometimes the impact on a child’s life is so severe that a lawsuit might be necessary to recover expenses paid to treat a child’s head or brain injury and save their life, or to recover expenses incurred when a child or adult dies as a result of a bicycle-related accident. The Illinois personal injury attorneysat Levin & Perconti have experience representing those injured in bicycle accidents as a result of the negligence of a vehicle’s driver. For example, our Chicago wrongful death lawyers reached a $2.3 million settlement on behalf of a bicyclist who was killed when a driver crossed the center of the road and hit the bicyclist. Through our experience, we have come to see the devastating affects that bicycle accidents can have on an individual or family. We strongly encourage readers to always wear a properly-fitted helmet when biking. Additionally, we suggest that before you hit the road this Spring, you review Illinois bicycle laws so that you understand how to operate your bicycle safely on Illinois streets, roads and bike trails.

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Posted In: Bicycle Accident, Brain Injury Lawsuits, Brain injuries in children

March 18, 2010

CDC Releases Traumatic Brain Injury Report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a report showing that each year in the United States, an approximate 1.7 million deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department visits involve a traumatic brain injury. The report, “Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Death”, focuses on four years’ worth of data to conclude that 52,000 deaths, 275,000 hospitalizations and nearly 1.4 million emergency department visits occur every year in this country. Traumatic brain injury contributes to 30.5% of injury-related deaths in the Unites States, and the leading cause of traumatic brain injury is falls, followed by road traffic injury.

According to the CDC, a traumatic brain injury is the result of a “bump, blow, or jolt” to someone’s head that disturbs the brain’s regular functioning. Dr. Richard C. Hunt of the CDC was also quoted by UPI.com as explaining that traumatic brain injury can result in short-term or long-term consequences affecting person’s thinking, perception, language or emotions. These consequences may not be quickly noticeable. The Chicago personal injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti also understand that 5.3 million Americans, at a minimum, live with disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injury, and that consequences of a traumatic brain injury can be severe and life altering.

Furthermore, falls are one of the most common causes of brain injuries among older Americans. CDC analysis shows that one in three Americans ages 65 and older falls every year and that 30% of these falls require medical attention. Falls represent the main cause of injury deaths and nonfatal injuries for this age population. We represent clients in cases involving falls in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and assisted living facilities throughout our state. Our Illinois medical malpractice attorneys work hard to represent those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of someone’s negligence. For example, we recently reached a $3.3 million settlement on behalf of the family of a patient who died from severe head trauma and a subdural hematoma after a hospital negligently failed to prevent the patient from falling and hitting their head, even though the hospital knew of the patient’s risk for falls.

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Posted In: Brain Injury Lawsuits, Brain Injury Recovery, Brain injuries from falls, Brain trauma from car accidents

March 8, 2010

Child Suffers Permanent Brain Injury When Trunk Lid Collapses

An eighteen month old girl is now in a persistent vegetative state after becoming trapped in a trunk marketed as a toy chest after the lid slammed shut on her. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the girl’s parents filed a products liability lawsuit because the store sold the trunk knowing the trunk was dangerous for children because the trunk’s lid could suddenly collapse. The girl’s head and neck became trapped in the trunk after the lid suddenly fell, causing her to suffer an anoxic brain injury. Anoxic brain injury occurs when there is an absence of oxygen in the brain, such as by prolonged suffocation, and the lack of oxygen causes brain cells to die. This serious brain injury can result in spastic quadriplegia, mental retardation and loss of speaking skills.

The Courthouse News Service explains that Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) statistics show that at least 45 children had already died or suffered serious brain injuries as a result of the trunk lid falling on their heads or necks or trapping children inside. The CPSC is a government agency that has proposed standards to protect children from dangerous products and prevent these brain injury incidents from occurring. If a product marketed for toy storage does not have lid support, the CPSC states that a label should be placed inside the lid warning of the dangers of suffocation.

Lawsuits are an effective way to tell manufacturers and retailers that their unsafe and unreasonably dangerous products will not be tolerated by consumers. Our Chicago personal injury attorneys encourage families to visit the CPSC website for updates on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious injury or death. If you have been a victim of brain injury caused by a defective product, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injury or loss. Fill out our online contact form and one of our experienced lawyers will respond to you soon.

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Posted In: Brain Injury Lawsuits, Brain injuries in children, Traumatic Brain Injury

March 4, 2010

Victim Suffers Head Injury When Shopping Center Failed to Repair Railing

A 42 year old man was leaning against a railing on an elevated walkway when the railing gave way and the man fell to the ground. According to the story as reported in the New Jersey Law Journal, the shopping center was aware of the broken railing. In fact, it had broken the day before and the shopping center used wire to hold it together and neglected to post any warning signs. Due to the property owner's negligence, the man suffered a closed head injury which caused him to become disoriented, behave childlishly and lose control of his bladder. A closed head injury is a trauma in which the brain is injured as a result of a sudden, violent motion that causes the brain to knock against the skull. Closed head injuries can affect cells and tissues throughout the brain or damage can occur in one area. The victim also fractured vertebrae, dislocated his shoulder, and lost hearing in his left ear. He had to give up his job due to the shopping center’s negligence. The shopping center does not dispute that the improperly repaired railing caused the accident or that a brain injury caused the victim’s mental problems. The shopping center is liable to the injured victim because of premises liability which provides that when an accident or injury occurs to a visitor on another person's property, the owner of the property may be liable (legally responsible).

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Posted In: Brain injuries from falls, Premises liability

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

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