Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer Blog

Nearly three decades ago Terry Pomatto “lost” her son to a motorcycle accident. Steven Paul Fowler, Terry’s son, suffered a traumatic brain injury while riding his motorcycle when an animal ran into the road in front of him. Unable to stop Steven crashed, killing one passenger, while personally suffering a traumatic brain injury. Steven did not pass away, but his life was never the same. After weeks in a coma, Steven woke up unable to do even the most mundane tasks. “It took months just for him to learn to open his mouth, to chew food, to swallow," Pomatto said. Steven eventually regained the ability to speak, and eat, but only in a limited capacity, and he was never able to truly function as he was before the accident. Steven never made it out of the nursing home.

Steven’s mother had bought him a helmet a few weeks prior to the accident, but unfortunately Steven was not wearing it when he collided with the wild animal on May 31, 1981. A few days after the accident, Steven’s mother went to his house to pick up a few things and found the helmet sitting on the kitchen table. As a mixture of emotions swelled inside her, Terry picked up the helmet and threw it against the wall.

Steven suffered from a traumatic brain injury. The Mayo Clinic describes a traumatic brain injury as “the result of a sudden, violent blow to the head — which launches the brain on a collision course with the inside of the skull. This collision can bruise the brain, tear nerve fibers and cause bleeding.” Additionally, According to the National Institutes of Health, “half of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by collisions involving cars, motorcycles and bicycles.”

To limit these injuries, it is important for an individual riding his/her motorcycle to wear a helmet at all times. Although a helmet will not completely eliminate the chance of a traumatic brain injury, it can reduce it significantly.

Currently, there is no law in Illinois which requires an individual to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Although there have been attempts to create one in the past, the legislature has never successfully passed a law to such effect.

How many more cases like Stevens' will it take before Illinois understands the severity of brain injuries? Illinois, after many years of traumatic injury, passed a law in which individuals in motor vehicles had to wear seat belts. I suspect (and hope) that a law requiring the use of helmets for motorcyclists is not too far away. It will save many future families from the heartache and pain suffered by Steven’s family.

Our Chicago accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti recommend that all motorcyclists wear helmets to help avoid potential brain injuries and death. We offer our deepest sympathy to Steven’s family and all other families who have suffered a loss caused by a motorcycle accident.

Reuters reports that a University of Illinois researcher has helped create a new brain implant made of silk and tiny electrodes and helped conduct studies assessing its effectiveness. Because the silk is biodegradable and water-soluble, it dissolves on the brain, leaving the electrodes in place and allowing the device to record brain signals more accurately than other brain implants and minimize damage to the brain. The silk brain implant also could have application to people suffering from serious brain traumaor a neurological disorder such as epilepsy or a spinal cord injury.

The Chicago brain injury lawyersat Levin & Perconti think these new findings are of particular interest to clients who have suffered spinal cord injuries as a result of the negligence of others. These injuries can occur from motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall incidents, and workplace accidents, or because of mistakes by health care providers, such as by failure to relieve spinal cord compression. As The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains, spinal cord injuries often begin with sudden, serious blows to the spine that fracture or dislocate vertebrae. This can compress the spine. Spinal cord injuries destroy the nerve cell extensions that carry signals between the brain and body, and when a person suffers a severe spinal cord injury, they can become completely paralyzed. However, people that suffer from less severe spinal cord injuries still retain some ability to convey messages from their brain to their body.

The silk brain implant can help both categories of people affected by a spinal cord injury. As Reuters reports, the silk brain implant has the potential to reroute signals from the brain to prosthetic devices, enabling people with spinal cord injuries to move independently once again.

Two Illinois parents were accused of killing their baby. The baby suffered what is believed to be a serious brain injury. The brain injury was caused by shaking the child. The parents are being brought on charges of first degree murder. The evidence also shows the child has had a history of brain injuries. To read more about this child’s traumatic brain injury, click here.

A new medical trial is taking place at Parkland Memorial Hospital, in an attempt to protect people injured from suffering traumatic brain injuries. Giving patients estrogen, they believe, could protect against brain injuries after a traumatic injury. The trial is going to involve only males, some getting the drug and others getting a placebo. The drug must be administered within two hours of the accident to prevent the possible brain injury; this has led to an ethical debate about whether they can give the drug to people who don’t consent. The read more of this article “Medical Trial in Place to Protect Injured People from Brain Injuries” 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”

Three hundred orange “phantom” heads graced the steps of the U.S. Customs house yesterday in an effort to raise awareness and educate the public about traumatic brain injury. The heads were placed on the steps by Force Protection, a manufacturer of armored vehicles used in Iraq, and the Medical University of South Carolina. These two have teamed up to study blast-related damage and traumatic brain injury. The “phantom” heads, made of gel and celery splayed in a pattern representing the brain, are used in the study’s blast tests.

For more information on the “phantom” heads and the traumatic brain injury research, click here.

The University of Rochester Medical Center is a step closer to releasing a blood test which can detect both the severity and existence of brain injuries. Scientists are claiming this will be a major breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries. This new brain injury blood test may be used, in certain instances, in the place of a CT Scan. To read more about this exciting new medical development in the area of brain injuries, please click here.

According to the article, 30-50% of those that suffer severe brain injuries will also suffer injury to their pituitary gland which then causes endocrine system dysfunction. The article follows one study that shows the severity of the brain injury will not affect whether there is damage to the pituitary gland. Even mild brain injury can lead to ESD.

For the full story, click here.

Illinois has launched a program (the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program) to help brain injured veterans receive proper care. Often brain injuries can impact a veteran’s life and ability to function after serving in the war. This new Illinois brain injury program will help brain injured veterans receive proper physician care and proper brain injury screening upon their return home. Many Chicago, Illinois veterans are in need of proper medical care to address brain injuries, traumatic brain injuries and other war associated injuries. To read about this brain injury program click here.

Two days after being declared brain dead, Jayne Campbell Soliman, a former British ice skating champion, gave birth. Mrs. Soliman was kept alive with machines after suffering from a brain hemorrhage in order to give doctors time to perform an emergency caesarian section, removing her baby girl. Swift action and excellent care from her physicians and medical team made this miracle possible. Soliman was air-lifted to the hospital soon after developing the brain injury, where she was pronounced brain dead shortly after arrival.

To read more click here.

A recent report found that helmets may worsen traumatic brain injury among soldiers in Iraq. Helmets may even act as a “focusing mechanism” for shockwaves during blasts caused by IEDs.

For the full article.

Months before an Illinois couple were to wed, the future bride’s life was shattered in a car accident. She suffered a devastating brain injury which left her impaired and unable to walk. It took the 24 year-old seventeen days to open her eyes and another seven months to utter a word.

The couple wed seven years and thousands of hours of physical therapy to help the brain injury after their original wedding date. The husband runs often outside while pushing his wife in her wheelchair. This couple’s tale of coping after the brain injury will air Sunday, December 14 at 7pm in Chicago on the Discovery Health Channel.

For the full article.

Two lawsuits have been filed on behalf of residents of a town who allege they developed brain tumors as a result of a nearby insulation factory dumping hazardous waste into the community. Testing on environmental samples collected in the area revealed the presence of arsenic and lead. In 1989, the factory, which closed over 20 years ago, was accused of burying containers of hazardous waste. The Environmental Protection Agency says more testing is scheduled, including water sampling near the closed plant. The cases seek class-action status that if granted may allow thousands of people who live or have lived near the factory to receive damages. For the full story, click here.

A traumatic brain injury advocate that has dedicated her life to helping brain injury victims says that there is not nearly enough help available to these victims. This advocate suffered from a fall that close to 40 years ago that left her in a coma for two weeks and she spent the next 16 years recovering. Using her experience as an example, she talks about how the help for traumatic brain injury victims is lacking. Many people that suffer from these injuries do not realize the severity and try to “shake it off” which can lead to very serious damaging and sometimes permanent effects. Many of these victims become depressed and suicidal and there is not enough help available to them. This traumatic brain injury advocate has written a book about her road to recovery and to try to help out other victims suffering from traumatic brain injuries the care they need in order to get better. For the full story click here.

A Midwestern group has collaborated to celebrate life following traumatic brain injuries. In Minnesota, people meet to recreate with health providers and people with brain injuries. If you are in the area, the next meeting of the Rochester Brain Injury Community Committee is November 6 at noon at the Ability Building Center. This group assists individuals cope after brain injuries.

For the full article.

A recent study has shown a high rate of traumatic brain injuries among the homeless. Traumatic brain injuries are most often caused by falls, motor vehicle crashes and assaults and result in immediate problems such as confusion and disorientation as well as often resulting in long term injuries such as cognitive and behavioral problems. The article mentions there could be a connection between these long term effects and the victims ending up homeless, because these problems left untreated make it hard to maintain one’s life. It also points out that once the victims are homeless they are more likely to be exposed to more assaults as well as drugs and alcohol which can further the damaging affects of these long term injuries. A possible solution to help this problem is to check for signs of brain injury more thoroughly after accidents and especially in high risk areas, which could hopefully cut down on the number of traumatic brain injury victims that end up homeless. For the full story click here.

The National Institute of Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting a two day scientific conference on brain injury entitled “Trauma Spectrum Disorders: The Role of Gender, Race, & Other Socioeconomic Factors.” The brain injury conference will be held at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Campus on October 1-2, 2008 from 8am to 5pm each day.

For agenda information and to register, click here.

A nationwide study to understand the nature behind post-traumatic stress disorder has been launched in the U.S. Funded by the Department of Defense Psychological Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program, the study will be a $60 million, five-year, 10-site Clinic consortium. The study will lead to the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. These are two prevalent and poorly understood battlefield-related disorders that affect millions of citizens, both military and civilian.

For the full article.

A recent study concluded that patients who recover fully from brain injury and head trauma may have to use more of their brains than they did prior to the accident or injury. They use more of their brains to complete the same mental tasks. Traumatic brain injury often results in impaired working memory. In order to compensation, brain injury victims use more of other parts of their brains.

For more information.

Often times, people who make full recovery after brain injury continue to report mental fatigue and feeling slightly different. These feelings remain despite good scores on cognitive tests. Imaging experts have shown that persons suffering from brain injury may have to work harder than the brains of healthy people to perform at the same level.

In America, approximately 1.4 million Americans sustain brain injuries yearly. Costs associated with these brain injuries are estimated to amount to $40 billion.

For more information.

Injury to the brain is one of the most traumatic and debilitating injuries that a person can experience. A person’s life changes within a matter of seconds when they experience a brain injury. The two most vulnerable groups to brain or spinal cord injuries are drivers and athletes. However, there are specific ways that a person can minimize their threat of brain injury. Drivers are advised to: not multitask, turn off cell phones, wear their seat belt, and drive defensively. Additionally, drivers should not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, nor should they drive when fatigued. Athletes can prevent brain injury by wearing protective gear such as a helmet or padding and staying away from high-risk stunts. Athletes should also prepare themselves by knowing what to do if a brain or spinal cord injury should occur. Finally, all individuals should remember to seek medical attention immediately after they suspect a brain or spinal cord injury. To read the full story, click here.

Brain injury may not be the end of the road for some nursing home residents. An upcoming nursing home lawsuit will determine if some brain injured nursing home residents may be able to seek solace in more intimate and communal rehabilitation centers. Brain injuries can result from car accidents, medical malpractice leading to strokes or serious falls. Some brain injured individuals may through the court’s ruling on the Americans with Disabilities Act be able to live in adequate homes and care facilities outside of the nursing home area. To see the full story on a ruling that could individuals over America & possibly one day Chicago, Illinois tort reform. To see the full story click here.

Five years and a number of personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits have passed since an apartment porch collapse accident killed 13 people on the city’s north side. Porches are very popular in Chicago, often the focal point of a weekend gathering. Residents should know that there are now only three ways that porches get inspected: by calling 311, during an annual building inspection, and when the porch is constructed. Notably, the porch collapse accident that killed 13 on the city’s north side in 2003 was not detected in five years of annual inspections. Apartment residents who worry that their porch is unsafe and could result in a porch collapse accident should contact the City of Chicago.

Read more here.