Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer Blog

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.

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).

The Chicago personal injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti represent individuals and families in cases involving serious brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries can happen in a number of ways- in automobile accidents, participating in sports activities, through medical malpractice and even in a fall. The Brain Injury Association of America estimates that every year, 1.4 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries. While not all injuries can be avoided, there are steps people can take to protect themselves. For instance, we always recommend defensive driving to prevent car accidents. We also recommend that people wear helmets when participating in sports such as skiing, biking and football. If you believe that a loved one has a suffered a brain injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, please feel free to call Levin & Perconti to speak to a brain injury lawyer.

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.

A school district has settled a brain injury lawsuit filed by a former student who was injured when he leaped from a file cabinet at the teacher’s request. The district will pay $700,000 to the injured student. The brain injury lawsuit alleges that the student jumped from atop the cabinet to grab an exposed beam in the ceiling at the encouragement of his teacher. The student jumped to get something from an exposed I-beam, missed and hit his head on the ground. He suffered a concussive brain injury and now suffers chronic headaches that affect his short-term memory and ability to concentrate. The brain injury lawsuit contended that the victim suffered permanent damage and required an individualized education plan to continue his schooling. To read more about the brain injury settlement, please click the link.

While performing as a pirate in a mock sword fight, Mark Priest, slipped on a wet spot on the stage and suffered a brain injury. Besides a traumatic brain injury, he also suffered a broken vertebra in his neck and a laceration to his head which required 55 stitches. He was taken immediately to the hospital and the doctors believed that he was recovering well. Only a few days later, Mark died from the head injury he suffered. To read more about his fall and brain injuries, click here.

US skier Cody Marshal is in critical condition after suffering a traumatic head injury. Cody was sliding down an escalator railing when he fell 20 feet and suffered a head injury. The accident occurred at 11:30pm and he was with teammates at the time. He is now at University Hospital in Salt Lake City and is listed in critical condition. To read more, click on “Head Injury Leaves U.S. Skier Hospitalized”

A 22 year old man was killed yesterday when he jumped off the North Avenue Pier causing serious head injuries. The accident took place at 4:19am in Chicago, Illinois. The man was believed to be intoxicated at the time he jumped. He dove into the shallow end of the water and died soon after. The Chicago police believed he had a head injury and a broken neck from the dive. To read more about this fatal “brain injury” click here.

An Illinois woman died on Saturday, from a traumatic brain injury, when she fell out of a Pedicab while on vacation. The fall caused severe brain damage. The woman was visiting San Diego for a National Education Conference. The vehicle made a sudden move, causing the woman to fall out and causing a serious brain injury. For more information on this fatal brain injury click here

A 43 year old woman fell off a golf cart last week and it caused a serious brain injury. The woman had been drinking and standing on the cart, when the cart hit a city street, she fell and landed on her head causing the brain injury. The leading cause of brain injuries are falls. The woman never regained consciousness and her family took her off life support. To read more click here “brain injury”

A young college student was in Texas visiting a friend at Southern Methodist University last weekend, when he was atttacked casuing a brain injury. As he left a concert that he attended with his friends, he was sucker-punched in the head causing a brain injury. The punch went straight to his head and the man hit the ground, slamming his head into the concrete causing a brain injury. The man’s brain injury is currently bleeding and swelling, which has led to the man being placed in a medically induced coma. The police are still looking for the individual who caused the man’s brain injury. To read the entire article click here “brain injury”

Summer is approaching and with this more people will be traveling and participating in sporting activities. This increase in activity brings with it an increased risk of traumatic brain injury. People became more aware of the seriousness of brain injuries this winter when Natasha Richardson died after a skiing accident. In the hours after her accident, she felt okay, but soon fell into a coma from which she never recovered. Her death highlighted the importance of seeking treatment any time the symptoms of brain injury appear. If you or a loved one suffers a head injury in an accident, watch closely for any symptoms such as nausea, headache, ringing ears or extreme tiredness. It is better to be too cautious when these symptoms occur. You should seek medical treatment sooner, rather than when it’s too late. Additionally, be proactive in preventing head injuries from occurring in the first place. If you are playing a sport or riding a bike or skateboard, wear a helmet. Also, always wear your safety belt to avoid head injuries if you are involved in a car accident. Safe practices and knowledge of the signs and symptoms of brain injuries may help lower the risk for serious injury or death. To read more about the symptoms of brain injury, follow the link.

According to the Centers For Disease Control, each year, 1.4 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury in the U.S. These injuries can occur in such incidents as falls, motor vehicle and assaults. Diagnosing a traumatic brain injury early can help to reduce the risk of serious injury or death. What should you look for? The CDC has identified some signs and symptoms of brain injuries to help people recognize them early. Signs and symptoms may include:

-Persistent head or neck pain
-Trouble remembering and concentrating
-Always feeling tired
-Dizziness and light-headedness
-Nausea
-Ringing in the ear

These are just a few of the symptoms of traumatic brain injury. To read to entire list, visit the brain injury information page on the CDC’s website.

A beloved firefighter died recently after suffering a traumatic brain injury. According to a report, the firefighter had a seizure at the firehouse and fell, hitting his head. The report did not offer specific details of the fall, but the firefighter was taken to a local hospital where survived for ten days. His condition did not improve and he died as a result of brain injury on April 21. To read more about this brain injury death, follow the link.

An op-ed published by the New York Times draws attention to the fact that people do not know a lot about traumatic brain injury. Until the recent death of actress Natasha Richardson, many people had not realized the devastating effects a brain injury can have upon a person. According to the article, sports facilities where people could have a higher risk for brain injuries do little to educate staff about how to respond to brain injuries. The article also points out the lack of government funding for brain injury research.To read the full article on traumatic brain injury, please follow the link.

A man has filed a lawsuit against a bar employee for battery after an incident in which the man suffered brain injury and blindness. The two men got into an altercation after the bar patron tried to go back into the bar to retrieve his coat. An argument ensued and the bar employee struck the patron outside of the bar. The man fell and hit his head on the pavement, resulting in brain damage. Attorneys for the bar have argued that the employee was not working that night so the bar should not be at fault. The case is scheduled to be heard in court later this spring. To read about this alleged case of brain injury, follow the link.

After falling down a flight of steps, a young 18 year old suffered a severe brain injury resulting in an 11 day coma, six weeks in the hospital, and five months in occupational therapy. He suffered damage to the front, back, left, and right sides of his brain. The college player underwent two head surgeries within the next three days after his injury. The man has recovered tremendously but still suffers from memory loss.

For the full story, click here.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease typified by recurring seizures and abnormal brain activity. 1 out of 100 people are affected by epilepsy, and it causes about 50,000 deaths per year. The seizures caused by epilepsy can cause traumatic brain injury, having effects such as developmental delays, depression, and even death. US soldiers in Iraq who suffer from traumatic brain injuries are at a great risk for developing epilepsy. Based on the severity of the condition and it’s prevalence in society, much more research is needed on the subject. For more information, click here.

An 11 year-old recently passed away after falling off a truck in a parade. She suffered serious head wounds in the truck accident fall.

For the full article.

A woman affected by her husband’s brain injury recently wrote a touching piece in an article. Four years ago, her husband fell 9 feet from our sleeping lost, suffering a traumatic brain injury. His short-term memory and ability to reason were so damaged that he could not remember anything that happened since his fall and could never be left again. While the brain injury radically transformed their marriage, their love remained the same.

For the full article.