Traumatic brain injuries can have devastating effects on a person and in some cases can lead to permanent disability or death. When a brain injury is caused due to the negligence or fault of another, our brain injury lawyers work with our clients to obtain compensation to allow our clients to obtain the life long care they will need after a TBI.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), a traumatic brain injury is an “alteration in brain function” which was “caused by an external force.” In the simplest form, a traumatic brain injury occurs when a person suffers an injury when something strikes their head. For instance, if you were struck on the back of the head with an empty beer bottle during a bar fight, and then you can’t remember being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries can range from “mild” to “severe,” depending on the impact on the functioning of the person. A good way to conceptualize this range is to picture a helmet-to-helmet collision between a defensive lineman and a quarterback on a football field. The injury for one player may be “mild” (a mild concussion) while the injury to the other player may be “severe” (being knocked unconscious). No two brain injuries are exactly the same and brain injuries can affect different people in different ways. The BIAA lists the following as some of the more common types of brain injury:
- Diffuse Axonal Injury (TBI)
- Concussion (TBI)
- Contusion (TBI)
- Coup-contre coup injury (TBI)
- Second Impact Syndrome (TBI)
- Open and Closed Head Injuries
- Penetrating Injury (TBI)
- Shaken Baby Syndrome (TBI)
A person may experience a number of symptoms after a brain injury. According to the Alzheimer’s Association the following are common symptoms of a traumatic brain injury:
- Unconsciousness
- Inability to remember the cause of the injury or events that occurred Immediately before or up to 24 hours after
- Confusion and disorientation
- Difficulty remembering new information
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurry vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Ringing in the ears
- Trouble speaking coherently
- Changes in emotions or sleep patterns
The rate traumatic brain injuries is on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010, 2.5 million emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths were associated with traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries play a role in 30% of all deaths related to “injuries.” Over a ten year period from 2001-2010, the CDC reported that emergency department visits related to traumatic brain injuries increased by 70%. The leading causes listed by the CDC for traumatic brain injuries are:
- Falls – 40.5%
- Struck by/against – 15.5%
- Motor Vehicle Accidents – 14.3%
- Assaults – 10.7%
If you or your loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury or believes that they have suffered a traumatic brain injury, then please contact the San Diego brain injury lawyers at Martinez & Schill LLP for a free consultation. The experienced personal injury lawyers at Martinez & Schill offer free consultations and are not paid unless you recover. Contact our San Diego office: 619-512-5995 or Riverside office: 951-200-4630.