Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer Blog

Late last week Seacoast Online published a heartwarming story that shares the struggle that many brain injury victims go through on their road to recovery. The story highlights the case of one man, a musician, who claims that his love of music provided a path to his recovery. Our Chicago brain injury lawyers are aware that there is still much to learn about recovery from these injuries. Pinning down best practices in brain injury treatment remains a mystery to many medical researchers.

The man in this story was a 34year old budding musician when his life was forever changed by a brain injury. At the time he was playing various clubs in New York City on a daily basis. One night, in the middle of a performance, he suffered a stroke on the stage—caused by a malformed blood vessel. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors did everything they could to save him. His prognosis remained unknown and his pregnant wife was told that even if he did survive, “there won’t be much left of the man you know.” This is a common issue with all brain injury victims because, unlike other injuries, brain damage has the ability to permanently alter so many aspects of a person, including their personality.

Fortunately, the man did survive, and in an inspiring presentation to a local brain injury organization, he explained how recovery worked in his case. He admits that his recover was not easy or without complications. Shortly after the stroke he developed multiple infections, one of which led to meningitis. In addition, he was faced with seizures and at one point was put in an induced coma. He ultimately spent months in intensive care. For much of that time he had trouble sitting up, swallowing, or moving in any way. The family explains that doctors were pretty negative overall, hoping to not give the family any false hope that he might improve.

At first the man had no short term memory and struggled to connect with his surroundings. However, very slowly, he began recovering. He began feeling emotions again, regaining his memories, and re-learning all the basic skills he had lost. The man credits his love of music as an integral part of his recovery. He always tried to stay positive, even in the face of crushing odds. In fact, his recovery has been documented in an award-winning 2009 documentary entitled “Life. Support. Music.” He now spends his time traveling across the country to help inspire those who are still in the midst of their own brain injury recovery.

Each Chicago brain injury lawyer at our firm has worked with families facing these same situations. We know of the extreme emotions involved in working so hard to help a family member see improvement, only to face setback after setback. The situation is made even more unbearable when resources are not available to ensure that the victim is given the best chance possible. Many therapies and treatment options may actually work, but they are of no use if families do not have the funds to have the help they need.

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Study Questions Efficacy of Military Brain Injury Treatments

Brain Injury Therapy Available for Iraqi War Veterans

The Star News reported this week on some exciting new related to traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatments. In previous posts we have counseled against the work of some scam artists who are using the promise of stem cell research to con unsuspecting families into paying top dollar for unproven and potentially dangerous experimental treatments. This is a very real problem that all local families must guard against. However, there is now some research coming from credible sources which offers more evidence that down the road stem cells may hold the key to brain injury research.

Our Chicago brain injury attorneys were excited to read about the latest study which was published online in the Journal of Neurotrauma regarding the role that implantation of human stem cells may have in spurring rejuvenation in the damaged brain of TBI victims. We touched upon this research in a post earlier this year. According to those involved, the study involved the implantation of human neuron stem cells into rats who had suffered a traumatic brain injury. What was the result? Amazingly much of the damage to the rats’ brains was reversed, which meant that there was a reconnection of filaments in the brain’s nerve cells.

The study’s lead author explained that filaments are necessary to make connections between nerve cells in the brain. It is upon these connections that learning and memory are possible. While traumatic brain injuries often cause actual cells to be lost, the filaments are often retracted. Per the findings of this study, use of stem cells may work to reconnect those filaments (though not regenerate the brain cells).

In the study researched used both the rats as well as a new apparatus that apparently mimics human neuron brain damage. By doing so they were able to identify a specific mechanism which allows the implanted stem cells to aid in the recovery of brain damage to certain brain pathways. The specific pathways are known as the axons and dendrites. When those pathways are disturbed the trauma is known as a traumatic axonal injury. The lead research explained that, “In this study we found that our stem cell transplantation both prevents further axonal injury and promotes axonal re-growth.”

So exactly how do stem cells help repair the damage and prevent more damage? According to the researcher the human stem cells release a neurotrophic factor known as “GDNF.” Apparently it is GDNF which specifically causes the positive improvements discussed.

Not only were the pathways repaired in the damaged rats, but another benefit of the stem cells is that they reduce the levels of “alpha-smooth muscle actin.” This is a protein which essentially builds and clogs up the brain after trauma. Rats that had trauma but no stem cells treatment had higher levels of this protein than those who received the treatment. This protein build-up is another problem faced by brain injury victims, and so if the stem cells limit the growth it should undoubtedly be viewed as a positive development. As the lead researcher summarized, “We are quite excited about these discoveries. This kind of detailed study is essential to developing safe and effective therapies for traumatic brain injury.”

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Lawsuit Filed After Inmate Suffers Brain Injury

New Technology Aims to Help Victims of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Medical Express News reported this week on the release of a new study which offers some positive news in the elusive quest for ways to get the brain to repair itself after injury or disease. The new research effort was spearheaded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). The group uncovered a protein known as Betacellulin (BTC) which plays a role in brain regeneration. The effect has not yet been evaluated in humans. However, in the studies involving mice, BTC was able to stimulate the brain’s stem cells ultimately helping to form new nerve endings. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, may prove to have significant benefits for Illinois traumatic brain injury victims.

When reporting on recovery options for those injured in this way, our Chicago brain injury attorneys have often noted that once certain cells are damaged, there is no going back. Most nerve cells in the brain are formed in the womb and soon after birth. Yet, experts now know that new neurons continue to be generated throughout one’s life via stem cells. These stem cells supply new neurons to parts of the brain that are responsible for a wide range of tasks, from the sense of smell to the forming memories and learning of new skills.

In traumatic brain injury victims (as well as degenerative brain injury victims) the stem cell production part of the brain acts abnormally. Instead of producing new neurons, these areas instead produce “glial cells” which essentially lead to the development of scar tissue. It seems that in response to the trauma, the stem cells prioritize damage control over long-term recovery—hence the production of scar tissue cells instead of new neurons to improve the damaged part of the brain.

Medical experts have long hoped that something could be done to fix this process for the victims so that actual new neurons are created instead of glial cells. This latest research was just such an attempt. The researchers examined the way that the BTC protein—itself produced by the stem cells in the brain blood vessels—affects the rate of neuron creation. Interestingly, the researchers found that BTC signals to the involved stem cells to increase neuron production. When extra BTC was added to the mice in the tests, the mice had an increase in stem cells and an increase in newly produced neurons. Conversely, those test mice that were given an antibody that blocks BTC showed a decrease in neuron development. Together this is strong evidence that BTC plays a crucial role in this brain regeneration process.

Our Illinois injury attorneys were encouraged to hear one researcher note that “This study is an important step towards our goal of moving beyond the replacement of tissues and organs to the exploitation of the intrinsic repair and regeneration potential of the human body.” While the work is still in its infancy, these are very encouraging steps. Next researcher will conduct more tests to see how BTC affects damaged cells alone and interacts with transplanted neural stem cells.

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The Brain Tsunami

Hyperbaric Oxygen May Help Troops with Traumatic Brain Injuries

The Daily Breeze highlighted a new local traumatic brain injury recovery group that is working to help community victims get their lives back together as much as possible. As we often report, the recovery process for these victims is heavily dependent on the therapy that they receive in the months and years following the injury. It is amazing the difference in improvements seen across various individuals depending on their access to the latest in therapy and rehabilitation.

The new organization discussed in the latest article is the Brain Rehabilitation and injury Network (B.R.A.I.N.). The program, like many others that are sprouting up nationwide, are all about providing a place for local victims of these injuries to interact and receive the wide-ranging help they need. Participation in these community groups is often the difference between being able to relearn basic skills like, walking and talking, and being left with permanent impairments.

One B.R.A.I.N. participant, for example, suffered a sudden cardiac death, sending her into a coma for three weeks. During the ordeal there was extensive deprivation to the brain that left her with ataxia and apraxia disorder. She had little control over her muscles, could not execute learned movements, and was legally blind. However, the 46-yar old reports that she has seen significant improvement in the three years since accident, in large part due to involvement in the brain injury recovery group. Our Chicago brain injury attorneys have witnessed the same improvement for clients who actively engage in all of the support efforts available to them.

Like other community based service groups, B.R.A.I.N. involves the injury victims, their family, friends, and other interested parties to offer a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation. The group was founded three years ago by a family whose young daughter was misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia when in reality she had suffered a brain injury. As it often the case—necessity was the mother of invention. The family sought out support services to help their daughter but found that there were none nearby. They set out to change that and so B.R.A.I.N. was founded. The group explains their mission as one to create a community where those who have lived though the experience could provide insight and help educate others who had suffered traumatic brain injuries.

The group has grown so popular that offshoot programs have already sprung up. For example, Friends of Brain Injury (F.B.I.) is a group, now eighty strong, that meets weekly to share personal stories, provide information about relevant resources, and brainstorm ways to engage with others. The groups is led by a local licensed speech-language pathologist. One local college professor involved with the effort summarized by noting, “The group is all about helping people find each other and know there are people out there whom they can relate to. We want them to have a sense of community.” Participants report that hearing the story of others helps them keep their own injuries into perspective.

Another offshoot program in known as B.R.A.I.N. Cells which pairs brain injury survivors with community volunteers. The pairings are made with consideration of the participants’ age, gender, and interests. The goal is to create bonds between the partners, building a relationship that can become an important part of the survivors healing process.

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New Brain Steps Program Targets Reintegration for Children with Brain Injuries

Virtual Brain Injury Support Group Allows Therapy From Home

This week marks the year anniversary of the horrific attacks in Arizona that took the lives of several and made Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords the nation’s most famous traumatic brain injury survivor. In the months following the accident the public remained transfixed by the Congresswoman’s injury. Recently, as Gifford has made more public appearances and shared her story about the attack and her recovery, many have been amazed the progress she’s experienced in only a year.

However, as our Chicago brain injury lawyers have explained, it is important to keep the Congresswoman’s recovery in perspective. The sad reality is that many victims who face similar hurdles have not seen anywhere near as positive an outcome. A large part of the reason is that they do not have the resources or access to the best therapy available which can help them reach their full potential following the accident. A story in yesterday’s New York Times made the same point. The consequences of these injuries last much longer than a year, even for those who have the absolute best therapy around like Congresswoman Giffords.

One overlooked aspect of traumatic brain injury recovery are the effects that it has on other family members—particularly spouses. The immense interpersonal challenges faced by a husband or wife following one of these events probably cannot be fully appreciated unless one lives it. The personality changes that often come with traumatic brain injury must undoubtedly throw many marriages into troubling spots. Fortunately, the increased profile of these injuries is leading to new developments in counseling and couples therapy. Those involved explain that much of that work is focused on rebuilding social links. The interpersonal connections between spouses and their friends often act as the hallmark of a relationship. Trying to keep those intact following injury is crucial to rebuilding the relationship between life partners.

Encouragingly, the most recent statistics on the issue find that couples do tend to stay together following one of these injuries. A 2007 investigation noted that the divorce rate as long as seven years after the injury were only at 17%. Yet, it is unclear what the quality of those marriages are. As one psychologist noted, “While people may technically be married, the quality of their relationship has been seriously diminished.” That is why much counseling research is going in to helping the uninjured spouse learn how to accept the changes in their partner. Yet sometimes the changes are simply too much for the other partner to bear, a condition many have called the “stranger in the living room.” For these families, the personality changes in their loved one are so profound that they essentially seem like a different person.

Each Illinois brain injury attorney at our firm understands that our work is ultimately about helping victims recover. Particularly in the brain injury context, the quality of therapy available goes a long way to determining the amount of recovery seen. Without holding wrongdoers accountable, many of these victims simply never have access to the help they need. That is unacceptable.

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Family Struggles to Find Support Services After Brain Injury

Many Illinois Brain Injury Victims Never Fully Recover

Time is crucial in brain injury recovery. Most community members likely consider the harm caused by a traumatic brain injury to be similar to that found in all other traumatic injuries. The assumption is that first there is a significant trauma, the damage is done, and then the brain begins a slow process to heal as much as possible. This is not exactly true. Over the years our Chicago brain injury attorneys have to come to appreciate that the harm caused by brain injuries worsens in the aftermath of the initial trauma. This is a critical factor which makes quick thinking and appropriate action vital in the immediate aftermath of the injury.

An article in The Atlantic discussed this reality, dubbing it the “Brain Tsunami.” It was explained how brain tsunamis are neurological events which occur often days after the initial trauma, leading the significant brain damage beyond that caused directly by the initial accident. Experts explain that the tsunamis are actually widespread brain depolarization of cells that spread slowly but persistently across the victim’s brain. This leads to widespread dysfunction. Medical researchers are now working hard to better understand these waves of brain damage in order to prevent patients from losing large portions of their brain functioning. The story explains that the depolarization of the brain days after injury has long been known. However, it is only recently that researchers confirmed that these brain tsunamis are actually the cause of further brain damage for these patients. The discoveries were made as part of focused attention on the injuries sustained by service members who suffered this harm while in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many service members have been left with significant injury and few viable treatment plans.

This latest study involved over one hundred brain injury patients nationwide. The involved participants underwent neurosurgery, and they were then followed throughout their post-operative care to gauge their outcome. In total, about 58% of those involved in the study experienced brain tsunamis. These victims had a surge of cell depolarizations in their cortex leading to significant harm to their functioning. The full extent of the harm was determined by placing a linear strip of electrodes on the patient’s brains. The researchers actually hoped that they could figure out a way to stop the spread of the cortical depolarization. Unfortunately, the efforts to do so in this case were not all that successful, and researchers are still not sure how the prevention can be achieved.

One researcher, trying to put a positive spin on the situation, summarized by noting that, “Our ability to monitor and understand what happens in the brain after a severe injury hasn’t advanced significantly in decades. T he brain is like a black box, but the process of spreading depolarizations now gives us a window into the box.”

Our Chicago brain injury lawyers understand that much of this research can produce more questions than it does answers. Experts are still a long way away from figuring out how to specifically limit these tsunamis. However, other research has made some inroads in to improved outcomes overall for brain injury victims.

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Facts on Traumatic Brain Injury

Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed After 15-year old Injured During Deliveries

Each Chicago brain injury lawyer at our firm remains surprised by the medical news that continues to come out exploring the long-term effects of brain injuries. Because the brain plays a role in virtually all parts of the human experience, injury to the brain has the potential to affect a wide range of aspects of the victim’s life. We have often mentioned how the injury can affect one’s personality. Of course traumatic brain injuries often also lead to cognition, speech, and physical movement problem. Now, Reuters is reporting that brain damage may play a role in obesity.

The latest research discovery was made as part of scientists’ efforts to better understand why losing weight and, more importantly, keeping it off, is so challenging. What experts have uncovered is that part of the problem is that chronic obesity may be rooted in damage to the part of the brain that is supposed to control weight. The damaged portion of the brain makes it difficult for victims to control their appetite and overall fat storage. Contrary to public perception, at times this has nothing to do with a lack of willpower.

“Yo Yo” dieting is common for many community members. Those who hope to lose weight change their diet and see success—shedding pounds. However, eventually (sometimes quickly), they gain it all back. Scientists are now saying that for some of those serial dieters, the regaining of the weight is rooted in damage to brain cells and neurons in the hypothalamus—the part of the brain that control appetite.

Experts at the Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Washington in Seattle who are involved in these latest research efforts admit that the notion that brain damage is connected to obesity is nothing new. For at least the last five years, scientists have understood the connection between the hypothalalmus and obesity. The relationship was first identified in animals. Animals which had inflammation of the hypothalamus were far more likely to be overweight. Unfortunately, inflammation is a typical bodily reaction to traumatic injury. Humans, like all other animals, exhibit the same tendencies. That means that traumatic brain injuries may lead to hypothalamus inflammation and struggles with obesity.

The lead researcher in the project noted that animals forced to overeat experienced inflammation similar to that seen in traumatic brain injury victims. Amazingly, the effect was seen almost immediately, within 24 hours of the overfeeding. In a normal brain, the cells work hard to repair the damage, but when those cells cannot repair it, the harm could be permanent. This latest research adds yet another facet to the overall damage caused by these injuries. When arguing about damages in front of a jury, a brain injury lawyer would obviously explain all of the ways that the victim’s life has been adversely affected by the harm. Yet, there are always some losses, such as the increased risk of obesity, that are hard to calculate and often go without specific redress. It is a reminder that at the end of the day, no matter how big a settlement or verdict, the victims of these incidents are never made fully whole.

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It Remains Difficult For Some Victims to Receive Compensation For Their Harm

Respected National Think Tank Criticizes Damage Caps

This week the Chicago Tribune published an interview with a local professor of communication science that caught the eye of our Chicago brain injury lawyers. The discussion was based on the high-profile story of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who most know was shot in the head by a gunman almost a year ago. Firearms cause a significant number of traumatic brain injuries across the country each year. Many of the injuries are fatal, but in some cases, as with the Congresswoman, the victim is able to survive. Mrs Giffords story has been particularly amazing, considering the speed and scope of her recovery.

However, anyone who watched the Congresswoman’s first public interview late last year would have appreciated, there remains a long road still ahead. Like many other traumatic brain injury victims, Mrs. Giffords continues to struggle with words. For many of these individuals, their personality is perfectly intact, but their ability to communicate and vocalize words is hampered. The Northwestern University professor interviewed for the story explained that the speech problem, known as aphasia, affects nearly 1 million Americans. There has been a rise in the prevalence of the brain injury related problem, and more than 2 million citizens are expected to exhibit aphasia by the end of this decade.

The professor, whose work focuses on language recover following brain damage, explained that aphasia can affect both ability to understand words and the ability to produce spoken words. In general it is caused by disrupted blood flow to the part of the brain involved in language processing. For a long time experts assumed that brain injury victims of this sort could never fully recover after a certain length of time. A plateau was usually reached, meaning there was only a limited window of time where recovery could take pace. Yet, in news that is encouraging for all Illinois brain injury victims, that old assumption has been tossed out the window. Now experts believe that, in the professor’s words that “the brain is an organ of plasticity and it continues to change and improve throughout life.”

This surprising finding was reached using experimental training protocols. The professor’s research team has trained several dozen individuals who were in the chronic stage of aphasia. The vast majority of those participants (90%) showed improvement. Those patients receiving treatment then had MRIs taken to examine the physical effect on the brain development. The test revealed that those who had received the training (and improved) showed evidence of neural reorganization.

The doctor noted that the brain can recover even 10 years after the original injury, so long as proper training in provided. Yet, insurance providers routinely only cover training for a few weeks following the injury. Patients are usually discharged long before they have reached their maximum gains. This disturbing fact is one of many reasons why our Chicago brain injury attorneys work hard to help victims of these injuries seek redress and make available resources that will allow them to have extended therapy and training to reach their full potential.

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Family That Won Birth Injury Lawsuit Needs State Help to Receive Judgment

Family Awarded $4.5 Million Following Birth Injury Lawsuit

Our Illinois brain injury lawyers were intrigued this week to read about a new “virtual” brain injury support group that is leveraging technology to help those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. It is a unique and helpful way to aid those from whom certain services may not otherwise be available. Considering that so much uncertainty exists in brain injury treatments, all of these new approaches should be continued and encouraged as much as possible.

The Roanoke Times published a story on one virtual support group. This particular group was development in order to improve the lives of a group of brain injury victims who leave in rural regions of the state. Support groups are common for many people who have experienced a wide range unique life circumstances and events. The personal communication and connection with others who are going through similar experiences has long been known to be helpful. Things are no different for brain injury victims, but it may even be more important than for most groups. Brain injury victims need mental “exercise” to help keep their minds healing. Support groups provide on additional way to help in those exercises.

However, depending on where one lives, it is often impossible for many to reach a physical location where other brain injury victims meet. In many rural settings these victims often have no access to transportation, live in poverty, and may be physically unable to travel long distances. In these situations many victims lose the ability to socialize, developing a sense of isolation. These situations would be tough for anyone, let alone those whose lives have already been turned on their head following a traumatic brain injury.

That is where the virtual support group comes in.

This latest program is still in its infancy, but it is an important example of what the future may look like for these support options. Loneliness is a real problem for these individuals which may be addressed. The program, known as “Community Living Connection,” is just finishing its second test run. It involves volunteer participants to have weekly virtual therapy sessions, via using of video and microphone computer technology. Fifteen participants were involved in the first ten-week test, and twenty six were involved in the second. The group is led by a moderator who works to coax discussion while also helping patients engage in exercises to retrain their brains. Program participants have given rave reviews the service and explain that is opens up a new world of which they would otherwise be left out.

Experts explain has the virtual service is just one part of a massive new industry known as “telehealth.” In the past most telehealth advances have been used for chronic care disease management and education. This involves the monitoring of patients’ vital signs and providing other observations from afar while the patient is at home. Those involved in the industry have been quick to praise the use of virtual brain injury support groups. One noted, “I think it is an awesome, innovative idea. You know, your greatest barrier to telehealth is your lack of imagination.”

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Bike Struck By Car Recovers $675,000 in Brain Injury Lawsuit

Levin & Perconti Recover $975,000 in Wrongful Death Case Resulting from Fall from Balcony

Our Chicago brain injury lawyer knows that preventable brain injuries affecting children are always the toughest to swallow because of the lifetime of consequences that often result. Late last week KSAT published a detailed story explaining the way that increased medical teamwork help in treatment efforts for children with traumatic brain injuries. The story began by reinforcing the scope of the problem. In total over 5.3 million people are living with the effects of one of these injuries. Each year another 85,000 people suffer a TBI. Annually 50,000 more individuals are killed because of traumatic brain injuries. Many of these victims are children, and many of the causes of the injuries are preventable. In children, traumatic brain injuries are the number one cause of disability and death. Every day more kids are killed by TBIs than cancer or any other disease. The problem is so widespread, that these brain injuries kill more children every year than the top ten diseases combined.

Making matter worse, as our brain injury attorneys have frequently explained, current treatments for these conditions are minimal. Medical professionals still have a lot to learn when it comes to helping victims recover from their injury and minimizing deterioration. There remain a wide range of treatments, from the initial stabilization efforts to rehabilitative care for restoring daily life functioning and acute treatment to prevent secondary injuries. The article explains the top three causes of traumatic brain injuries are consistently the same: car accidents, falls, and firearm accidents. Young adults and the elderly are most often affected by these injuries. This is to be expected considering that both are at increased risk of automobile accidents, and the elderly have by far the highest rate of serious slip and fall accidents.

When it comes to helping children with TBIs learn and develop as fully as possible, many researchers are considering new coordination techniques. Most admit that while progress has been made in the last few years, there is still a lot of work to be done. On the good news front, over the past five years there has been a seventy percent decrease in mortality rates for children with TBIs. In addition, there has been increased beneficial outcomes among those who survive. That is particularly encouraging, because it would be far less than ideal for more children to survive only to lead lives where they are permanently and severely disabled.

Surprisingly these improvements have come not from advances in medicine but from better application of already available tools. Most importantly, medical staff needs to engage in multidisciplinary efforts to ensure the best outcome for child brain injury victims. Everyone from critical care doctors and nurses and therapists to respiratory therapists and EMS workers must coordinate efforts for maximum beneficial outcomes. In addition, experts explain that the improvements in child brain injury treatments have been helped by better coordination with emergency room professionals, intensive care units, and rehab centers. One expert involved in a hospital brain injury team admitted that if you drop the ball at any level, than it could mean the difference between a child living well on their own and being permanently disabled.

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Sports and Traumatic Brain Injuries

In Illinois, Treating Brain Injuries May Now Be In Our Own Hands

Our Chicago injury attorneys help clients who suffer a wide range of problems caused by the negligence of others. In many more cases than not, those who did not act appropriately in any given situation will eventually decide that a settlement is the best course. When that occurs we work with our clients to reach the best result based on their goals. In other cases, no amicable settlement can be reached, and so the case proceeds to trial. At trial the specific evidence is presented which indicates the misconduct that took place and the harm suffered by the plaintiffs. In some cases there may be a separate “injury” phase, after liability has already been determined, where both sides present information only on the extent of the harm caused as a result of the negligence. For example, in the traumatic brain injury context, that may include the suffering of family members after losing a loved one as a result of the injury. These situations require jurors to truly get into the situation of the victims to properly gauge a fair award.

One new movie that has garnered much critical acclaim deals with this exact situation—a family coping with the consequences of a loved one who suffered a traumatic brain injury. The Descendants is led by George Clooney who plays the husband of a woman who falls into a deep coma after a skiing accident. The movie then proceeds to describe the ramifications for him and his family of two daughters. They are forced to grapple with the diagnosis that the likely outcome is not good, and they are likely to lose their loved one. This week the Sunny Observer explained how the movie tackles these subjects, indicating how few films ever delve deep into these issues which affect many residents.

Palliative care professionals explain that, like the movie, the consequences for those closest to the victims are intense, with entire lives changing in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, human perseverance is often underestimated, and many family members rise up and muster as much courage as necessary to deal with the aftermath. As one psychiatrist familiar with the situation explained, “the shock of the situation may keep people from fully grieving, and the parade of obligations and responsibilities may actually divert them from their deep emotions until weeks after a person has died.”

In the movie, the husband is forced to grapple with the claim that his wife’s lower and upper stem brain functions have not responded. The victim continues to breathe for days after the accident on her own. However, in the movie the woman’s living will indicates that no extraordinary measures should be taken to save her life. That means that she cannot be put on life support to maintain her breathing if it falters. Our Illinois brain injury lawyers know that some families face this exact situation, of being forced to watch as a loved one slowly loses the ability to breathe on their own after suffering a head injury. The emotional suffering for those family members is always difficult to quantify but undoubtedly intense.

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Car Accident Brain Injury Victim Works to Help Others

Motorcycle Passenger Dies from Brain Injury Suffered in Accident

With each new case our Chicago brain injury attorneys become more and more familiar with the long-term costs and consequences of most of these injuries. Legally, it is important to have a detailed grasp of the actual lifetime costs and harm to the victim, because those costs are crucial to determining a fair settlement amount. If the case goes to trial, an intimate understanding of the day-to-day costs of traumatic brain injuries is even more necessary, because it frequently needs to be explained in careful detail to a jury.

Besides the technical knowledge of understanding what types of damages the law allows to be recovered, there is often an art to this process. The consequences of these injuries are often hidden. Unlike other cases where specific information is easily available to show how the harm will impact a life, brain injuries can be much more mysterious, and they are much more personalized. Our Chicago injury lawyers understand this, and it is one of the main reasons why we prioritize learning about the specific causes, consequences, treatments, and other aspects to these injuries. In addition, every new case we take and client that we help provides more experience to better reveal how these life-changing injures affect real lives.

Getting to the day to day consequences of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) was at the heart of a story published this week by WDIO News. The story centers around a traumatic brain injury support group where local victims of these injuries meet every month to share stories and support one another as they deal with the long-term consequences of their harm. For example, one man explains the effect that the TBI has had on his memories. When trying to think of old memories he notes, “You see little flashes and you can’t piece it together.” Some victims lose long-term memories, others short-term, and a few lose both. The man in this story explained how his daughter was married not too long ago. He sadly explained that he “couldn’t tell you a think about her wedding, but I walked her down the aisle.”

The victim in this case had to have nearly half of his brain removed to save his life. He was forced to learn how to walk and talk again, just like many other victims. Beyond that, the man explains that he lost most of his eyesight. The inability to see most things is incredibly damaging on its own, but there are countless other repercussions. He can no longer drive, of course, and that fact alone has huge ramifications on his life. In addition, the story explains how the victim is forced to take roughly 30 pills a day to help with a wide range of other problems resulting from his injury.

As this one victim’s story explains, there is truly no limit to the ways that these injuries can affect lives. Considering the physical, emotional, financial, social, and psychological effects of these injuries, it is no wonder that victims often seek aid from those who caused the harm so that they can have the resources they need to deal with these consequences.

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Facts on Traumatic Brain Injury

Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed After 15-year old Injured During Deliveries

Yesterday we discussed the seemingly remarkable story of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a catastrophic traumatic brain injury (TBI) nine months ago after being shot in the head. Earlier this week the congresswoman and her husband had their first public interview since the accident. The couple explained Gabby’s advances in the nine months since the accident, improvements that many doctors have described as “miraculous.” However, a few community members who have lived through TBIs in their own family have expressed frustration at what they are deeming a one-sided discussion of the actual recovery process.

In an article from Salon, one mother whose son suffered a life-threatening TBI claims that the reality of dealing with a TBI is much less hopeful or glamorous as described in most accounts of the Gabrielle Giffords story. The mother explains that nearly four years ago her then-fifteen year old son was hit by a minivan, thrown nearly sixty feet into the air, and landed on his head. He was unconscious when paramedics arrived, and his parents were told by doctors that they did not know what his quality of life would be after the accident.

The mother explains that unlike Congresswoman Giffords, her family has not near the resources to help their son recover. While Gabby is in intense therapy even now, more than nine months after the accident, her son was released from rehab after three weeks. He was essentially forced to make due on his own, claims his mother, and the road has been incredibly difficult. This was the case even though the family had two different insurance policies in place at the time. As our Chicago injury lawyers know, even families that are seemingly prepared for these emergencies find it difficult to find the necessary resources to provide the best care possible. In this case the mother was forced to learn how to help her son on her own. He arrived home with the emotional range of a three year old. He lacked the ability to understand the limits of his injury and he couldn’t communicate well with others, because the injury had adversely affecting his linguistic abilities (as with the Congresswoman).

While the story of Gabrielle Giffords can be used to raise awareness of all brain injury victims, our Chicago brain injury lawyers know that the real recovery for many families is much less glamorous. Most victims have no access to the resources that have been made available to help in the Congresswoman’s recovery. That is why we are proud to fight every day for these victims, ensuring that they receive fair redress for their losses such that they have the absolute best chance at getting their lives back to as normal as possible. This is not a radical idea. All community members should get behind the notion that those whose wrongdoing causes another to suffer a significant injury that has serious ramifications on their lives should be held accountable and required to provide support to help that victim get back to normal.

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Car Accident Brain Injury Victim Works to Help Others

Motorcycle Passenger Dies from Brain Injury Suffered in Accident

MSNBC reported last week on a unique complication affecting some brain injury patients. One brain injury patient’s story was shared. The man was lying in his hospital bed when he demanded to know whose arm was in the bed with him. The man would pick up the arm and try to throw it off the bed only to have the arm come back and hit him in the chest. The victim had no idea that the arm was his own.

As the American Academy of Neurology fellow who was working with the patient explained, the victim was suffered form hemispatial neglect. One of the symptoms of this neglect is that patients become unaware of all happenings on one side of their body. The side of the body where awareness is lost depends on the part of the brain that is injured. There is “cross wiring” in the brain, so that injury to the right side of the brain affects the left side of the body and vice versa. While the damage could occur on either side, almost all cases of hemispatial neglect affect patient’s left side. This is the case, doctors’ suspect, because the right side of the body has visual information processed by both sides of the brain. Therefore, if there is damage to the left side of the brain, the right side can compensate.

Any type of brain damage can result in hemisptial neglect. The patient in this case was a stroke victim, but traumatic brain injury victims, those with tumors, and even degenerative disease sufferers have had the same problem. Our Chicago injury lawyers know that this sort of damage can have profound impacts on the lives of victims. The brain processes visual information in three ways. One form allows the brain to know what it seen, another tells the brain where the thing in sight is located, and then that information is combined with information fromm another part of the brain telling the brain what the object is. If any of those pieces is damaged as a result of a brain injury, then the individual has difficulty interacting with their environment.

It is not an overstatement to say that the human brain remains the most mysterious object on the planet. Our most advanced scientists are only beginning to unravel the mystery and complexity of the organ. As a result, there remain precious few medical treatments that allow victims of brain injuries to fully recover. The most seriously injured often never recover. That is why our Chicago brain injury attorneys urge all community members to remain very cognizant of their actions to minimize potential brain injuries. Of course there are times when things happen which could never have been prevented. Yet, many brain injuries, particularly those caused by blunt head trauma, are the result of the careless actions of another. In those cases, victims can receive compensation for their losses from the wrongdoers. Please visit our office to learn how we can help you receive the timely redress to need to help in your recovery.

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Facts on Traumatic Brain Injury

Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed After 15-year old Injured During Deliveries

When a local community members falls victims to an Illinois traumatic brain injury, their life may be forever changed. However, it is usually more than the victim of the physical injury who must deal with the consequences of the accident. The family members of the victim often also have their daily routine’s forever changed as they help their loved one adapt after the accident. Of course, that is not even counting the extreme mental and emotional suffering that often comes after one suffers a brain injury.

Late last week the Pittsburgh Tribune Live discussed how these traumatic brain injuries can immediately change the lives of family—often reversing family roles in an instant. For example, one woman interviewed for the story explains how her life was forever changed in 1995 when her now-thirty six year old son was involved in a motorcycle accident. Her son suffered damage to the left frontal lobe of his brain. He immediately needed close care, and his mother stepped up to provide it—even though she wasn’t sure what to do. She admits that she desperately needed help and resources to perform the task.

After fighting on her own to cope with the consequences of the injury, the woman teamed up with another woman who was in a similar situation and created an organization to help parents whose children have suffered brain injuries. As the women explain, being a caregiver for those with these injuries can be very difficult and affect everything from marriages and jobs to other family dynamics. As one caregiver explains, “when it’s an adult child or a spouse, someone has to take over a lot of responsibility. Roles have to change.”

Brain injuries come in a variety of forms. They may include memory loss, confusion, loss of sense, and sleep disturbance. Of course, the most traumatic injuries can prevent individuals from conducting basic tasks for themselves. One father who is caring for his son explained that he essentially went back to childhood, with someone needed to change diapers, help with showers, and similar tasks. Many victims are no longer able to walk. It is important that victims continue to work to get their lives back, but many will never able to return to the exact same state that they were in before the accident.

Our Illinois head injury attorneys are well versed in the trials and tribulations of families who are forced to reshape their lives because of the consequences of these accidents. Unfortunately, many of these injuries would have been avoided if others would have acted reasonably. Whether it is doctor that does not act appropriately when providing medical care or drivers that cause a serious accident, all victims deserve the right to receive compensation for losses caused by others. If you or someone you know is in this situation, be sure to contact our office to see how we can help. No family should go through this process alone, and it is vital that those who suffer these brain injuries through the fault of another have the resources available to receive the care that they need.

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Facts on Traumatic Brain Injury

Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed After 15-year old Injured During Deliveries

A medical malpractice case went to trial recently alleging that a neurosurgeon who performed a brain biopsy on an elderly man acted negligently and did not exercise due care in his treatment of the patient. Our Chicago brain injury attorneys found this case particularly interesting because an Illinois brain injury expert testified that the kind of mistake that the defendant physician made was such a basic and common issue that he believed that a person with no medical training could have made the proper decision. According the The Duluth News Tribune, the defendant physician performed a brain biopsy, which is the appropriate procedure when there is evidence of a tumor, when all of the man’s symptoms pointed to the fact that he had a stroke and there was no evidence of a tumor. Performing the brain biopsy turned a small brain stroke into a major brain bleed causing the patient a severe amount of brain damage that was all a result of the doctor’s negligence. The elderly man is now suffering from multiple cognitive defects, is having trouble speaking, and can no longer walk.

The brain injury lawsuit seeks over one million dollars in damages that include medical costs, as well as damage for lost wages and the loss of the quality of life that the man could have expected without the negligent operation. The lawsuit also alleges that not only should the doctor have realized that the symptoms likely were caused by a stroke, but also that he should have required that more MRI and CT scans were performed on the patient before making such a major decision to open up his head. The doctor’s attorneys argue that the patient had the information necessary and the consented to the procedure, knowing both the risks associated with the procedure and the alternate option available to him. However, the injured man’s attorneys argue that because of his stroke that he was not aware of what he was agreeing to and that the decision was not actually an informed one.

It is crucial that when dealing with an area of the body like the brain that a doctor takes steps to exercise the most care possible to avoid unnecessary procedures because of how sensitive the brain can be to injury. It is especially sad to see a physician trained in neurosurgery make this type of error in a case that other doctors agree is one in which a little more care and attention would have made it clear that the procedure was not the appropriate given his symptoms.

Continue reading "Doctor Performs Brain Operation When Symptoms Show Different Problem" »

Our Illinois brain injury attorneys recently read about a lawsuit in which a man who suffered brain injuries after falling while trying to help out a police officer recovered a little over a million dollars in connection with his injuries. The man was working at a pet store nearly three years ago when he helped a local police officer investigate the burglary of a bunch of puppies from the pet store in which he worked. According to Mercury News, while he was helping the officer he was on the roof of the store and fell through the skylight on the roof and fell 15 feet to the ground below. The fall caused the man to suffer a skull fracture, which led to severe brain injury as well as other physical injuries. The lawsuit is against the police officer the man was assisting, the city in which the incident happened, and the owner of the complex in which the store was located. The lawsuit sought damages for the permanent brain injuries the man suffered as a result of the fall. He must take anti-seizure medication for the rest of his life because of the damage to his head. The personal injury lawsuit was settled shortly before it was scheduled to go to trial, and the man injured will receive a total of $1.1 million dollars, part from the city and part from the complex in which the pet store was located.

This type of permanent brain injury is an open brain injury in which the skull was cracked, and in this particular case is resulted in permanent damage and the patient will need to take medication for the rest of his life. It is likely that the reason that the man has to take medication for the rest of his life is to make sure that the brain does not swell and that the cranial pressure does not become more damaging to his head. This type of injury is common with a blow to the head, which can occur when a person falls a long distance, like the man did in this lawsuit. A closed head injury, as oppose to this type of open head injury, occurs when there is a brain injury but the skull is not cracked open.

The victim of the head injury recovered damages not only for the medical bills and costs associated with the accident itself, but also for the pain and suffering and damages that he will continue to suffer as a result of having to deal with a permanent head injury for the rest of his life. This type of compensation is often available to victims of brain injuries that suffered their injury at least partially because of the negligence of another, and is a way in which to try to help make the person feel as close to whole again after their injury.

If you or a loved one was injured in a fall and feel that the fall was at least possibly caused by the negligence of another, please contact our Chicago brain injury attorneys today. Our Illinois personal injury law firm is here to help you recover the compensation you deserve and have helped out victims of brain injuries all over the state of Illinois.

A lawsuit was recently filed after a police officer ran an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) into two pedestrians that were walking along the beach in Florida, one of which suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident. Our Chicago brain injury attorneys found this lawsuit particularly interesting because the lawsuit alleges that the police officer responsible was on-duty at the time of the accident and had been served alcohol all night at a local hotel. According to Fox News, the lawsuit names both the hotel and the officer as defendants and the lawsuit was filed on behalf of the victim who is still in serious condition and is likely to require years of rehabilitation.

The police department fired the cop responsible for the accident immediately following the accident and the officer also faces criminal charges for driving under the influence as his blood alcohol count was reported to over the legal driving limit for Florida even five hours after the accident. The police department also stated that they will look into whether police officers are being served while on duty regularly and try to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. The lawsuit also alleges that the hotel that was named as defendant was known to serve on duty police officers. The hotel will not discuss the lawsuit other than to say that they did not serve any alcohol to the officer while he was on duty that night. The representative of the victim says that they plan to sue the City of Miami Beach as well, but state law requires a six month waiting period to sue the city so that lawsuit has not yet been filed.

One victim of the accident suffered only minor physical injuries, but the woman who the lawsuit is filed on behalf of suffered physical injuries as well as a traumatic brain injury. The brain injury has left her with memory loss, trouble concentrating, partial paralysis and difficulty speaking. These types of injuries are common with a brain injury, and often require years and years of painful recovery and can end up costing millions in damages. Since our brains control who we are, brain injuries can often be as devastating long term, and sometimes even more devastating, to a family than physical injuries because they can change the personality of the person injured. Given how much a brain injury can affect the victim permanently and affect their family, damages other than just medical costs associated with the accident are often sought to try to help and compensate for all that has been lost. In this accident, the victim is the mother of a one year old baby and it is unknown when she will be able to care for the baby again.

Unfortunately, this is an example of a brain injury lawsuit caused by a careless accident that could easily have been avoided, which is often the case when someone chooses to act negligently and ends up seriously injuring another. Our Chicago personal injury law firm has helped out people all over the state of Illinois recover damages for injuries caused by the negligence of others, and not only for their medical costs but also for pain and suffering and lost wages and other damages resulting from the accident. If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury as a result of the negligence of another, please contact us immediately to discuss your options.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys were interested to learn more details about the lawsuit in which a group of former National Football League (“NFL”) players claim the NFL actively concealed evidence that repeated football head injuries and concussions could lead to serious cognitive brain damage. According to Business Insider, the lawsuit against the League also names Riddell, Inc. as a defendant, the company that has been the official football helmet brand for over 20 years. At this point both the NFL and Riddell refuse to comment on the pending lawsuit.

Concussions are a common head injury in heavy contact sports, such as football. When a player gets hit in the head during play the hit often leads to a concussion, which is when the hit causes the brain to jar or shake in the head. Because of how frequent concussions are in football, and how quickly the players are often back on the field and susceptible to being hit again, this issue has recently become a major concern in the sport.

The NFL has a brain injury committee that has been around for years and which was set up to research the effects of multiple hits on the players long term brain health. According to CNN, up until June of 2010, the committee claimed that there was no ongoing damage created by the multiple hits and concussions the players received and that the players had no long term damage to be concerned about. Then last year the committee finally released information that repeated concussions could lead to dementia, memory loss and other times of ongoing brain deterioration and damage. While a single concussion is not always something that is a serious concern, multiple concussions have been linked to permanent cognitive brain functioning problems and may impair speech, movement and learning. After this information was released, the NFL started issuing warnings to players and their families (but not to any former players that had suffered years of head injuries).

The player’s main issue against the league was that issuing these warnings were too little too late. The players allege that the league had to have been aware of the serious damage that the head injuries were causing but failed to warn the players of the dangers, and instead encouraged and allowed them to get right back out on the field. The lawsuit states that the football league, as employers of the players, acted negligently in their role when they knew of the risks of traumatic brain injuries associated with repeated concussions, but never warned the players of these serious dangers. The complaint against the NFL claims that with all the doctors around following the hits and witnessing the serious injuries occurring to the players, that the NFL had to know that there was long term danger associated with the sport and that they were engaging in fraud and deceit in keeping this information from the players.

Our Chicago Brain Injury attorneys are here to help both victims of traumatic brain injuries as well as the families of victims of these injuries. When a traumatic brain injury is caused, or worsened by, the negligence of another, the victim has a right to be compensated not only for the medical costs associated with the injury but also for the pain and suffering and other damage that they have suffered as a result. Our Chicago based law firm has helped out victims of brain injuries all over Illinois and are here to help you or your loved one receive the compensation you deserve.

The Hartford Courant reported a man was awarded $14 million dollars after the Town of Clinton was found liable for man’s injuries. The victim was a passenger in a car involved in a car chase with a volunteer firefighter. The volunteer firefighter called the Town of Clinton Police Department and was encouraged by a dispatcher to continue chasing the car.

After an eight minute chase, the victim’s car crashed into a tree. The victim suffered severe brain damage and is expected to be institutionalized for the rest of his life. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 360 people are killed each year in police related pursuits.

As a result of this staggering statistic, many police forces have considered the possibility of more restrictive police chases. It is important for some police forces to recognize the risks of chasing a vehicle for minor offenses.

Continue reading "Man awarded $14 million for a brain injury sustained during automobile chase" »

The Quad City Times recently reported on a trial involving an injured plumber. A Scott County jury recently awarded a couple in Coal Valley, Illinois $3.6 million in a brain injury lawsuit.

In 2006, a plumber was working in a trench as sewer and water service was being installed for a home under construction in Davenport. The trench collapsed when a skid loader drove too close. Rescue efforts successful dug the unconscious plumber out of the collapsed trench but the plumber suffered permanent brain damage in the work related accident.

The skid loader was being operated by an employee of Alliance Concrete Construction LLC of Davenport, Illinois. At trial, the injured worker and his wife were seeking damages from Alliance for lost wages and past and future medical expenses.

During the trial, the plumber’s wife took the witness stand and testified about dramatic changes in her husband’s behavior since his accident. She testified that since his brain injury, her husband suffers from severe nightmares that have caused the couple to sleep in separate beds at night.

The jury awarded the wife $300,000 for loss of consortium. Loss of consortium refers to the deprivation of the benefits of a family relationship due to injuries.

The defense attorney for Alliance argued at trial that the injured worker was at least partially responsible for his own injury because he failed to use a trench box and other safety precautions. The jury found the plumber 40 percent at fault. As a result of the plumber’s own negligence, he was awarded $1.8 million of his $3.6 million verdict. In Illinois, if an injured party is partially at fault for his or her injuries, then the total recovered amount may be reduced in proportion to the degree that the injured party was at fault.

For the full article on this brain injury case, see the Quad City Times.

Continue reading "Jury awards Illinois couple $3.6 million in brain injury lawsuit." »

On September 17, 2007, Barbara Lefforge entered St. Edna Nursing home for rehabilitation purposes. Barbara had just had surgery to repair tendon damage in her foot. Barbara’s surgeon mistakenly prescribed 50mg of Morphine when he had intended to prescribe her 50mg of Demerol.

The improper prescription was noticed by the pharmacist from which the medication was to be received, but nevertheless St. Edna administered all of the morphine they had in stock (a total of 30 mg). Upon the drug administration, Barbara suffered an overdose. St. Edna failed to monitor her and failed to bring her to the hospital until the next morning. Consequently, Barbara suffered a significant brain injury. This injury led Barbara to file a medical malpractice action against both her original surgeon and St. Edna.

The jury found St. Edna 90% at fault and her original surgeon 10% at fault. Sadly, Barbara was only at St. Edna a little over five hours when the negligence that caused her injury occurred. This was an injury that could have easily been avoided, and one that happens all too often in both hospital and nursing home settings.

Doctors are not perfect, and as such a system of checks helps to mitigate the damages that some of their mistakes can cause. The pharmacist in this situation correctly told St. Edna that the prescription was a mistake, still, St. Edna failed to listen and now both Barbara and St. Edna need to live with the consequences of St. Edna's negligence.

According to PRWeb, a jury verdict awarded $12.2 million in damages to Emily Liou, a San Mateo County 17 year old who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car-pedestrian accident. The accident occurred on March 28, 2006, as Emily was walking home. She had just left her friends after singing Karaoke. As she was crossing El Camino Real in a marked crosswalk, a woman with her child driving a Toyota sedan, struck Emily knocking her to the ground. The resulting injuries left Emily in a permanent vegetative state.

According to her attorney, “Emily was struck in a marked crosswalk located at the crest of a rise in the road, which does not come into view until a driver is about 100 feet away. Additionally, the crosswalk is located at an ‘uncontrolled’ intersection, meaning that there are no lights or stop signs controlling vehicular traffic. El Camino Real, which Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation) calls State Route 82, is among the busiest roads on the peninsula.”

Discovery during the case produced the following information -- within the past 15 years, three other pedestrians had been killed in the same crosswalk. The trial lasted four weeks. The jury found that the California Department of Transportation was 50% at fault and divided the remaining fault between the driver (30%) and Emily (20%).

According to Brainandspinalcord.org, brain injuries 20% of traumatic brain injuries are caused by motor vehicle accidents. In addition, 15-24 year olds face the highest risk of traumatic brain injuries due to vehicle accidents.

Continue reading "California Teen Receives $12.2 Million Verdict for Traumatic Brain Injury" »

The Chicago City Council approved a $3 million settlement on behalf of a woman seriously injured when the car she was riding in was hit by a stolen vehicle during an unauthorized police chase, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The stolen vehicle was driven in excess of more than twice the speed limit when it slammed into the woman’s vehicle, and the collision was so strong that her body was thrown from the car and landed on the ground forty feet away. Doctors had to place the Chicago woman in an induced coma for two days and she was in the hospital for over two weeks. The woman suffered permanent brain damage as a result of the crash.

Mayo Clinic reports that half of all traumatic brain injuries occur as a result of car, motorcycle and bicycle collisions. When the head is struck too strongly, such as can occur in a collision, the brain can slam against the inside of the skull and cause bruising of the brain, bleeding, and torn nerve fibers. Sudden braking or stopping as a result of a car collision can also cause this to happen. A traumatic brain injury can be fatal. When serious brain injuries are not fatal, the consequences can still be severe. Traumatic brain injury can cause cognitive impairment, affecting a person’s thinking and reasoning skills, memory, and multitasking ability.

To help prevent against serious brain trauma, always wear a seatbelt while driving in a car. Motor vehicle collisions are sometimes unpreventable, but by taking the extra precaution of wearing something as simple as a seatbelt or child booster seat, lives can be saved and people can take steps toward recovery, whether by medical intervention, lawsuits, or both.

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.

The jury in a medical malpractice trial, recently awarded $12 million for a hospital’s delay in evaluating and transferring an air rifle victim.

According to the Pasadena Star News, twenty-two-year old, Jessica Ramirez, was shot with an air rifle and the pellet entered her brain. Nevertheless, she remained conscious after the shooting and was able to ask for help. She was immediately taken to the hospital, which in turn sent her to another facility for surgery to remove the pellet. However, staff waited 5 hours before transferring her. At trial, the neurosurgeon who removed the pellet testified that, had he been allowed to operate sooner, her outcome would have better. Instead, her injury progressed into a traumatic brain injury that has left her in a persistent vegetative state.

More than $10.6 million of the award was for Jessica’s future medical care.

In many cases, especially those involving brain injuries, prompt evaluation and treatment is necessary to prevent treatable injuries from resulting in permanent damage or death. When doctors, hospitals, and other medical professionals fail to respond in a timely manner, they place their patient’s lives at risk. When this risk results in harm, they can be found liable for medical malpractice.

Click the following link for the full account of this traumatic brain injury verdict.

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.

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.

A brain injury lawsuit alleged that the victim will suffer millions of dollars in lost earnings due to a brain injury. The brain injury was incurred after an automobile crash. The man was hit by a 17-year-old driver who went off the intersection and landed on the driver’s side of the sport utility. Brain injuries are common results of automobile crashes. To read more about the jury verdict, please click the link.

Target Corporation has agreed to pay $7 million to an 81-year old woman who suffered a severe brain injury when an automatic door at a Target store in Rosemont, Illinois, malfunctioned. This is a record settlement in Cook County for a brain injury to a woman over the age of 60.

A glitch caused the door to close on the plaintiff, Claire Putman, as she was walking through the store’s entrance. This knocked her to the ground, causing her to hit her head. She was than hit in the head again by the door itself as it continued to open and close. Ms. Putman was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma and, despite undergoing surgery to repair her injury, she suffered permanent brain damage and cognitive defects that have required her to move into a nursing home.

Click on the following link to LawyersandSettlements.com to read more about this record brain injury settlement.

Pathways, a new film by Brandon and Tiffany Verzal, records the trials and tribulations of several patients in their struggle to recover from traumatic brain injuries. The 75-minute documentary sheds light on the extensive and grueling rehabilitation process. It focuses on the lives of four patients of varying ages, including their two year-old daughter, Alexis, who suffered a severe brain injury at a daycare. Her injury is consistent with shaken baby syndrome and authorities believe that Alexis may have been thrown by her day care provider, who begins trial next month.

The film premiers this week and is set to hit the film festival circuit.

Click the following link to the article in the Lincoln Journal Star for more information on Alexis, her family, their struggle to recover from traumatic brain injury, and this enlightening new documentary.

The Department of Defense has estimated the number of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans with combat-related traumatic brain injury could reach 360,000. While many of these victims are looking for help, it appears that some legislators are championing a treatment that seems to work. This is called hypberbaric oxygen therapy. This therapy has successfully treated 28 traumatic brain blast-injured service members and veterans. This type of brain injury can have and is having devastating and life-changing effects on soldieries and their families. Congress should be working harder to finding help for those with traumatic brain injury, especially for those who cannot afford expensive treatment. There is a clinic in San Diego that will help those with head injuries. To read more about brain injury therapy, please click the link.

A research study shows that brain tissue may grow at a site of a traumatic brain injury by an injectable biomaterial gel. The research shows the biomaterial gel made up of both synthetic and natural sources may have a possibility to urge the growth of a patient’s own neural stem cells in the body, which can help mend the brain injury site. This could be the first step towards brain tissue regeneration. There has been an increase in brain injuries due to combat, which helped with the research. However, doctors believe that this research could be applied to head injuries caused by car accidents, falls and gunshot wounds. Recent brain injury studies have focused on using hypothermia or neuroprotection with pharmacological agents, but these have had little success. The new method shows that the hydrogel may be injected into the lesion site to direct the response of neural stem cells in the brain to supposedly redevelop normal brain tissue at the lesion site. To read more about the brain injury study, please click the link.

Last week, a jury awarded a verdict of $7.4 million to a child who suffered permanent brain damage as a result of a hospital’s failure to treat an infection that eventually developed into meningitis.

The child was only one month old when she began showing symptoms of an infection at the hospital. Rather then administering antibiotics at the first signs of the infection, the doctors in the neonatal intensive care unit delayed treatment for eight hours, causing the infection to worsen. As a result of this negligence, the infection eventually progressed into meningitis which, in turn, lead to the child suffering brain damage.

The child has since been fitted with a permanent shunt to drain excess fluid from her brain and prevent the buildup of intracranial pressure, which could cause further brain damage. Now, at the age of five, she requires both physical and behavioral therapy.

For more on this hospital’s failure to treat the infection, click here.

Doctors believe that there may be a drug that can reduce the effects of brain injuries. Hormone progesterone, used to be a way to reduce damage to stroke victims. The drug is now being tested in 17 hospitals to see how it can help reduce brain injuries. It is believed that if given to patients within hours of the accident, the drug can lower death rates, reduce paralysis and cognitive damage. They are using this drug on brain injury patients in the hopes of seeing results. To read more click here “brain injuries”

According to Anthem Insurance Companies Inc., cognitive rehabilitation is a medically necessary treatment for those patients with traumatic brain injuries. Over 20% of injured American soldiers are now experiencing traumatic Brain Injuries and need to be treated for those injuries. The Brain Injury Association , the voice of those with brain injuries , is asking for President Obama to come through with a promise he made as Senator and direct Secretary Gates to enact TRICARE coverage to those who need cognitive rehabilitation from a brain injury that they suffered while serving overseas. Click here to view the entire article on “brain injuries” .

A recent university study examined the effects of brain injury in children. The study looked at how long the effects lasted and how they affected children as they grew older. After examining a number of traumatic brain injury studies, researchers found that children with brain injuries fell significantly further behind their peers than originally thought. They also discovered those children with the severe brain injuries had worse recovery outcomes than those with less serious injuries. According to the CDC, traumatic brain injuries are the most common cause of disability or death in children. Often, these injuries can be prevented by taking safety precautions before an accident occurs. Kids often are injured playing sports, on bikes, skiing or riding in a car without wearing a seat belt. Parents should stress helmet and seatbelt use to prevent traumatic brain injury. Read more about this brain injury study.

A brain injury advocacy group from a hospital recently launched a brain injury website. The website will be a portal for people who have suffered serious brain injury and brain damage. Among the features of the website is a section where victims of brain injury can create blog posts. The website is aimed at people who have been affected by brain damage and to create awareness surrounding serious brain injury. To visit the brain injury website, follow the link.

A 21-year old woman incurred numerous seizures resulting in brain injury and paralysis from an ingested hamburger containing a bacterium called Escherichia coli. She now has to endure a variety of therapy including therapy to counteract the brain injury’s serious effects. The brain injury also affects the woman’s responses.

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A study was conducted involving mild electrical currents on the brain to find ways to enhance traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. The study found people who received a mild electrical current to the motor control area of the brain were more successful in performing motor skills than those in a control group who did not receive the current. The study gives hope to those who suffer from traumatic brain injuries.

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Like physical therapy for your brain, cognitive rehabilitation has been proven to help one’s mind after a serious brain injury. Researches studied problems associated with serious brain injuries such as language, attention, memory and other cognitive issues. Through this research, they gave suggestions on treatment options for those suffering from a brain injury.

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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.

A man is in critical condition after being severely beaten in a fight last weekend. The man who suffered personal injuries is now in intensive care with a swollen brain. His family believed he would be brain dead. The brain injury victim was hit over the head with a champagne bottle.

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Millions of people have suffered brain injury and now, cognitive training can assist them perform at higher levels of cognitive function and have better quality of life. Recently, research has been expanded to a wide range of neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, geriatric depression, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and chemobrain.

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One man is crediting his recovery from his brain injury to his personal trainer. He sustained a brain injury during a 2003 car accident and it hurt his energy and concentration. Now, he’s stronger and able to hold his balance.

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Traumatic Brain Injury Staff Training has released self-study modules online for staff working with people with traumatic brain injury. Its comprehensive modules provide overviews of the nature of traumatic brain injury and its impact.

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1. The height of traumatic brain injury is in the 15-25 year old range.
2. Males experience traumatic brain injury three times more often than females.
3. Recovery from severe traumatic brain injury includes coma, post-traumatic amnesia, lucidity, and recovery.
4. The severity of a traumatic brain injury is measured by the length of the post-traumatic amnesia.

For the full training kit released by Traumatic Brain Injury Staff Training.

Everyday living requires individuals with brain injury to use their cognitive reasoning at every activity. Brain injury can impair a person’s functioning. Rehabilitation is essential for individuals having suffered head trauma. Focusing on promoting independence of an individual can be achieved through setting independent living skills goals.

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