Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer Blog

This week Medical News published a story on a new grant given to university researchers to study improved treatments for traumatic brain injury victims who suffer their injury while on the battlefield. As our Chicago brain injury lawyers discussed in a recent blog post, various groups (including those spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama) are working hard to improve the treatment of brain injured service members.

This latest grant apparently involves over $1.5 million given to researchers at the University of South Florida from the U.S. Department of Defense. The grant was given to conduct research on TBIs in connection with other battlefield injuries and diseases. University officials will collaborate with those at the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital on the effort. As with all of these research efforts, the ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life for those returning from combat. It remains tragic that so many who are coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq will face a life of struggle trying to overcome the myriad of problems that can be associated with the traumatic brain injury.

As those who will work on the project note, TBIs are fast becoming known as “the” signature issue affecting soldiers returning home from the wars. It is no surprise why. Traumatic explosive blasts can easily causes severe trauma to the heads of soldiers. That head trauma frequently damages the brain. The long-term impact of these injuries can affect nearly everything about the service member’s life from memory and decision-making to personality and motor skills. In addition, various symptoms also develop following the impact, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. The Department of Veterans Affairs has been working on finding ways to better treat those who have suffered these injuries. As many victims can attest, there is still a long way to go to ensure that all our soldiers receive the best possible brain injury treatment every time.

The director of the university’s Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair summarized the group’s effort as part of this latest grant. He said, “Working with the VA, the Department of Defense and private research entities, we will develop novel studies—everything from drug discovery and preclinical work to clinical, social and behavioral trials.” He went on to explain that the goal is to come up with both better diagnostic tools and treatment plans for soldiers and veterans. Both prongs of the effort will hopefully help these individuals better adjust to civilian life both physically and psychologically.

Our Illinois traumatic brain injury lawyers are encouraged by the new wave of research and grant funding for these issues. So many individuals are affected by this harm, that all advances which make diagnosis simpler and treatments streamlined with have enormous benefits for so many residents—veterans and others. For far too long so many brain injury victims have been treated in a haphazard manner, with little coordination to determine what actually works and what doesn’t. We will be sure to follow along with the effort and reported on all new information that comes out of these research endeavors.

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Walk Draws Crowd to Raise Awareness for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Soldiers Brain Injuries from Blasts in Afghanistan Take A Toll

Our Illinois brain injury lawyers were happy to read this week about a new traumatic brain injury initiative that is being spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama. As reported by the Associated Press, the announcement was made Wednesday by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joseph Biden. The launch of the initiative was made public during a ceremony at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. This particular medical school has been at the forefront in brain injury research. The hospital often partners with Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center Veteran’s Affairs Hospital to work with service member brain injury victims.

The initiative is centered on providing increased access to resources for victims, practitioners, educators, and all those involved in treating and researching traumatic brain injuries as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. The project is a joint effort partnering with an organization called “Joining Forces” which is a group working to encourage societal support for military personnel and their families. As blog readers know, returning service members from Iraq and Afghanistan often suffer these sorts of injuries while fighting overseas.

Over 100 medical school members of the American Association of Medical Colleges have committed to participate in the effort. In addition, another 25 schools from the American Association of Osteopathic Medicine will play a role in the project. In describing the program and its potential the First Lady noted, “By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they’re ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned.”

This initiative comes at a time when some have questioned the effectiveness of current brain injury treatments being provided to victims, particularly combat soldiers. As the story reports, as many as one in six returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 44,000 have likely suffered some form of traumatic brain injury, from moderate to severe. In the last decade, the U.S. Department of Defense reported that around 230,000 service members have suffered a brain injury. In other words, this is not an isolated group of victims, but a widespread problem in need of focused resources to address it.

A Rand Corporation study found that of the hundreds of thousands of returning service member victims, less than half have actually sought treatment. That figure suggests that much more work needs to be done to reach out to potential victims and to provide actual substantive help to get them back to their old selves. The First Lady reminded returning soldiers that “if you are struggling, please don’t be afraid to speak up. If you know someone else is struggling, encourage them to seek help. Asking for help is a sign of strength.” The Rand report found that many fail to report their illness out of fear of the effect it might have on their long-term military career.

During the initiative’s launch speech the First Lady acknowledged that the official end to the wars overseas marks the beginning of a long transition period. Those who have served cannot be left without the resources they need during this time.

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Walk Draws Crowd to Raise Awareness for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Soldiers Brain Injuries from Blasts in Afghanistan Take A Toll

Few forms of harm are more debilitating as brain injuries. The brain is the body’s central command, and so any harm to the brain has the potential to affect virtually every part of one’s life—from physical movements and mental ability to thoughts, memory, and emotions. One of the most unique consequences for some victims is a complete change in personality after an injury that affects their brain. Victims sometimes appear physically identical to before the injury, but those around them report that the in ways that only one familiar with the victim would know, that the individual is a “different person.” These personality changes highlight the reality that brain injuries are often completely unpredictable.

The unpredictability can be frustrating for families who usually want clear and straight answers from medical providers about what to expect for their loved one. However, there is another benefit to still unknown aspects of these injuries: many patients far exceed expectations. Stories abound of individuals who beat the odds again and again—recovering far more than experts would have thought possible. Each Chicago brain injury lawyer at our firm remains amazed by the struggles that some our clients have undergone only to come out happy, strong, and resilient.

DVIDS News reported last week on a heartwarming story along the same lines. They profiled a marine who was near killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2005. His mother at first received a call telling her that she would need to “escort his body home.” It was only later that she learned that he had survived. Yet she was warned not to expect much, because the injuries that her son sustained were as severe as they come. His entire body was covered in burns, countless pieces of shrapnel riddled his frame, and he had lost the entire front third of his brain.

The man’s mother explained that even upon his arrival home, doctors did not expect him to make it too long. She explained, “The doctors couldn’t explain how he was still alive because the whole side of his brain was gone. They couldn’t give me his prognosis because no one had ever survived injuries like that.” Not only has he survived, but thanks to aggressive rehabilitation programs, he is slowly beginning to thrive.

By the time the marine’s squadron had returned from deployment and visited him, the man shocked them by laughing at old jokes and remembering their stories. Now, years later, the marine has continued to progress. Within the first few years he was capable of feeding himself, moving his legs, whispering responses, and bathing himself.

Of course, this is not to minimize the severe challenges he still faced as a result of the brain injury. He was unable to walk, had minimal strength, and difficulty speaking. To help tackle those issues his mother began researching different therapy options. She eventually was able to arrange for him to have Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to drastically increase the oxygen levels available to damaged tissue. The man’s family explains that after the therapy his improvement levels took off. Within a few weeks his speech and thought patterns drastically improved, his strength improved, and, eventually, he was able to walk completely unassisted.

Our Illinois brain injury attorneys remained committed to helping all victims of brain injuries reach their full potential. Part of that process involves guaranteeing that the individuals will have access to the best therapy and resources possible. It is only then that they can be given their best shot at recovering and getting their lives back to normal.

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Hyperbaric Oxygen May Help Troops with Traumatic Brain Injuries

Brain Injury Victims Involved in Hyperbaric Study

Military service members who have suffered traumatic brain injuries face severe challenges when they return home. For many, their injury throws their lives upside down, and they struggle to deal with the challenges caused by their new disabilities while integrating back into their old communities. Each of our Chicago brain injury lawyers have followed closely as stories continue to roll out of the vast number of service members who have experienced these injuries and the often inadequate treatment that they receive upon their arrival home. As many as 320,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have reported suffered some form of traumatic brain injury over the last decade of combat. Brain injury care remains murky as medical professionals are still uncovering the best ways to ensure these victims don’t suffer further brain damage and recover as much as possible.

Several brain injury victims’ advocates are stepping up to the challenges presented by the situation and are working to help the victims. New Jersey News reported this week on a nonprofit effort that is being spearheaded by one community to provide needed resources to military members who suffered a traumatic brain injury. The effort was first thought up by an occupational therapist who worked at a naval hospital. The woman saw firsthand the way that these injuries debilitated the victims, leaving serious physical and psychological scars.

To help these victims the therapist met with other local advocates and began work on a new nonprofit organization to help these veterans with traumatic brain injuries. At the center of the organization is the Thomas Jerome House—a place where victims can live in a group home setting to best provide for their recovery and well-being. The facility is named for a veteran who was blinded and lost a large part of his frontal lobe by a sniper’s bullet in Iraq.

In working with these victims the therapist learned that many families were concerned about the long-term well being of the soldiers. It remains unclear what type of support system they would have as the war winds down and resources are cut to provide for their long-term care. Family members of these service members voiced worry about what would become of their loved one when their support networks were gone. That is where the idea for the group homes first arose.

The idea behind the facilities is to essentially create a group home atmosphere specifically for soldiers where there is an emphasis on hominess and military camaraderie. Veterans will be allowed to apply for access to the home after they are discharged from the hospital. The home will then provide around the clock care and assistance from those with medical or nursing backgrounds. The founder stated that those spearheading the effort “were trying to keep them out of nursing home, we’re trying to keep them from being homeless, and trying to prevent higher rates of disabilities.”

The therapist leading the project has experience in these efforts. Her family has previously created to nonprofit homes for those with developmental disabilities. Those houses provide transition spaces for individuals who have aged out of the state system. In a similar way, the Thomas Jerome House seeks to help military members who are transitioning out of the hospital.

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Study Questions Efficacy of Military Brain Injury Treatments

Civilian and Military Hospitals Join to Bring Awareness to Brain Injury Month

Military officials have received some criticism over the past few weeks regarding its efforts to help soldiers who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. A report commissioned by the Department of Defense identified a variety of problems and inadequate coordination among current programs aimed at helping these soldiers. Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most common injuries faced by service members caught in roadside explosive blasts and other incidents leading to serious body trauma.

Last week a story in the Marine Corp Times shared the belief of some military members that use of hyperbaric oxygen helps relieve some of the symptoms of the injury. For example, one retired army sergeant reported that her migraines, memory loss, and facial paralysis were somewhat relived by breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The woman suffered her head injury after the vehicle in which she was riding in Iraq ran over roadside bombs on two separate occasions. It wasn’t long after that she began having nerve problems and then severe headaches. However, she has seen improvements since receiving treatment in a hyperbaric chamber most often used to help scuba divers heal from the bends.

Many others share the sergeant’s support for the system of hyperbaric oxygen therapy—known as HBOT. These enthusiasts’ opinions are part of a growing body of anecdotal evidence suggesting that HBOT may help brain injury victims and those with post traumatic stress disorder. However, there has yet to be any scientific confirmation of the benefit. Military officials at the Pentagon explain that they will likely require peer-reviewed scientific analysis before fully endorsing the HBOT for soldiers who have experienced traumatic brain injuries.

HBOT is essentially the delivery of oxygen under pressure to the patient. Right now it is approved for a variety of conditions from soft tissue injuries and acute burns to carbon monoxide poisoning and the bends. It is also known to improve the effectiveness of some antibiotics by stimulating white blood cells and fighting infections. However, head injuries are not one of the fourteen currently approved uses.

Naturally, before endorsing the treatment for head trauma, officials will need scientific data void of colloquial support from those using the system currently. As the Navy surgeon explained, the military needed “to base therapies on objective clinical data that cannot be influenced by opinions of people who have benefitted.” Two studies on the very issues have actually been underway for two years, but results have yet to be released. The first effort was initiated in 2008 with results expected in 2010. Yet, those results have yet to be shared. The second effort was larger (with a $20 million budget), and it was supposed to began in January of 2010. However, it has apparently been moving quite slowly and only began a few months ago.

The slowness of the effort to verify HBOT benefits has advocates frustrated. We have frequently explained on these pages the large number of service members who are suffering from the effects of brain injuries with little valuable treatment options. One former army staff members vented, “we’ve got an epidemic here…and we’re not giving them the treatment they deserve.”

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Study Questions Efficacy of Military Brain Injury Treatments

Brain Injury Therapy Available for Iraqi War Veterans

A legal action that is colloquially mentioned to as a “brain injury lawsuit” may actually refer to a wide range of things. The most common case likely refers to a suit filed by a victim who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being involved in a car accident or slip and fall. The lawsuit would then center on the potential negligence of those who may have caused the accident, such as another driver or the landlord of the place where the fall took place. In other situations the brain injury may result from mistakes made during childbirth. These injuries are usually not traumatic brain injuries, because they do not result from blunt force trauma to the infant. Instead, they are most often the result of a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain for a prolonged period of time. These birth injuries arise with surprising frequency, often when a C-section is not performed in a timely fashion following a problem during the birth.

In each of these cases, the brain injury lawsuit would likely name the individual that caused the actual injury as a defendant. However, there are other situations where a brain injury lawsuit may also involve not only the individual’s whose negligence caused the accident, but also those who failed to act properly after the injury already arose. These are usually “failure to detect” cases, where one in a position to catch the brain injury fails to do so, meaning that treatment is delayed. In these situations the victim suffers more harm that he or she otherwise would have if the injury had been detected in a reasonable manner.

This potential problem was reported on in Pro Publica this morning. The article framed the issue in the context of brain treatment programs in place for our military service members. Traumatic brain injuries are a common injury for soldiers, considering that roadside bombs are one of the most common dangers faced by our troops. In order to help the problem, Congress has passed legislation requiring the military to test soldiers’ brain function before they are allowed to re-deploy. Failure to catch these brain injuries can have life-long effects on soldiers, and the screening is necessary to prevent those problems.

Tragically, a new investigation has found that the screening process is failing. The problem is that the test used to determine if a soldier has suffered a traumatic brain injury has not actually been shown to properly detect the injury. In this way, the program gives the appearance of helping service members while not actually doing so. In the four years that the program has been around, more than a million troops have taken the test, costing the taxpayers more than $42 million. Yet, the fruits of that cost may be nil, because the test doesn’t reliable catch brain injuries even when they exist. Our Chicago brain injury lawyer is concerned that the military’s failure to detect serious brain injuries in soldiers may have significant long-term consequences. One former military doctor explained that “the test was not developed for the purposes of identifying the kinds of problems that we see in concussions.”

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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

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.

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.

ABC News correspondent, Bob Woodruff, is back in Iraq after over a three year hiatus. On January 29, 2006, while taping a report, Mr. Woodruff suffered a traumatic brain injury. The brain injury happened as a result of a bomb that struck the convoy that he was riding in. He spent a month in a coma because of the serious brain injury. He is now back on the news covering soldiers who are suffering from traumatic brain injuries. He has also started an aid fund to raise awareness of soldiers who suffer from brain injuries as a result of war. To read more about “After Suffering Brain Injury, TV Journalist Back in Iraq” click here.

Last week, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ announced the opening of several Veteran Service Offices across the state. The offices will act as a resource where veterans can access state and federal benefits. Among the most notable of the new services is a Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder program. It is the first state program of its kind in the U.S. and it will provide brain injury screening and 24-hour support to Illinois veterans suffering from these injuries and conditions. Read more about the Illinois brain injury program for veterans.

One result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is a growing number of American troops suffering traumatic brain injury. A new treatment that could supply high doses of oxygen to the brain to speed up the growth of brain tissue is underway. Hyperbaric chambers have been used to help patients recover from such conditions as the bends. Now, doctors are testing to see if these medical devices may help in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries. Currently, soldiers suffering from traumatic brain injury at Brooks City Base in Texas are participating in the study. Doctors are hopeful for positive results, but caution that the treatment will take place in conjunction with other brain injury treatments such as therapy and drugs. Read more about the use of hyperbarics for brain injuries.

An article written by two Army Colonels and published in the recent New England Journal of Medicine is critical of the Army’s screening of returning soldier’s for Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries. The Colonels complain that most of the symptoms mistaken for Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries are really symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The crux of their argument is that the emphasis on Brain Injuries in returning soldiers is taking attention away from the other injuries returning troops which may be going undiagnosed. To read more about this article, please click here.

Melissa Hooppaw, a veteran of the current Iraq war, suffered a mild traumatic brain injury in 2004. Two years and one deployment later, residual effects of the injury left the veteran unable to hold a job. Despite her Brain injury, armed with time on her hands and nothing more than a high school art background, Melissa began making crafts out of old furniture and selling them on the side. According to a 2008 study, one in five returning veterans has been exposed to a blast which may have an effect on the brain’s functioning. To read more about this brain injured veteran, please click here.

A group comprised of congressmen, doctors, and scientists are pushing Congress to develop a uniform test for traumatic brain injuries to be applied to all US soldiers injured during wartime. Traumatic Brain Injuries have been called the signature injury of the Iraq war as more and more soldiers are suffering from brain injuries caused by roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. To read more about this developing story, please click here.

With estimations reaching into the 300,000s, traumatic brain injuries are being labeled as the “signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.” In an attempt find different ways of treating these injuries, Louisiana State University is experimenting with the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments in healing the injured brain. Those suffering from the result of a negligent traumatic brain injury, which may not have access to special programs designed to those who’ve served in the military, should contact Levin & Perconti, Illinois brain injury attorneys. To read more about this LSU experiment, please 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.

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 new treatment that is geared specifically for U.S. soldiers from the Iraq war has been developed for those with traumatic brain injury. The brain injury treatment will treat diver’s bends, which occurs when a diver is exposed to pressures that begin to increase without proper precautions. The brain injury treatment is known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Scientists believe that when applied to a traumatic brain injury victim, HBOT may be able to relieve the pressures of an explosive blast-induced brain injury, which has become very common in the Iraq war. Victims of the brain injury may find hope in the new treatment, which can be physically, mentally and financially devastating. To read the full story, click here.