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TOP CALIFORNIA BRAIN AND SPINAL INJURY LAWYERS:
At Lee & Kaufman, LLP, we specialize in brain injury cases throughout the greater Southern California area. If you or your loved one has suffered a severe trauma or injury to your head, contact us for immediate assistance.
As a brain injury victim, you may feel as if you have nowhere to turn. Thousands of persons each and every year suffer massive trauma to the head that results in “traumatic brain injury,” also called TBI. This injury is caused by a process where the brain is moved into the skull by a process that is commonly known as “whiplash.” This can also result from a shaking force, sudden movement or blow to the skull. This sort of impact can result in swelling to the brain and, in the worst case scenario, may tear portions of the blood vessels in the brain, resulting in permanent injury.
If you have suffered such a traumatic injury, contact Lee & Kaufman, LLP and we will provide you with a free consultation regarding your matter. If we accept the matter, we will effectively handle the case with dedication and compassion. We have the experience to handle such a complex case and regularly achieve excellent results for our clients
There are several different types of brain injuries.If head trauma results in damage to the skull itself, such as a crack or break, the injury is considered a penetrating head injury. More difficult to diagnose are closed head injuries, where the skull is not obviously damaged but the brain is still injured. This can occur from a blow or impact, or from severe back-and-forth shaking, such as whiplash. Babies and small children can suffer such injuries from being shaken, the so-called “shaken baby syndrome.”
What are the signs of a brain injury?A medical professional should evaluate anyone who has sustained a blow to the head or whiplash-like injuries to determine if the victim has experienced a TBI. Even if symptoms are so slight that the victim does not realize that a serious injury has occurred, treatment should be sought before further injury can develop. Often the symptoms may be delayed for many hours until swelling in the brain reaches a point that if affects the victim. Some signs and symptoms to look for include:
Physical SymptomsDizziness, loss of balance, headaches, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, drowsiness, and confusion
Mental Cognitive SymptomsIntermittent disorientation, amnesia, short-term memory loss, poor judgment, and poor concentration
Emotional SymptomsDepression, agitation, irritability, apathy, confrontational attitude, explosive temper, fearfulness and impatience, personality changes in general, sleep (early morning awakening) and appetite disturbances
What are the possible long-term problems?TBI can cause serious, life-threatening events and can result in permanent irreversible damage to the brain. With severe brain injuries, the impairments are obvious and profound. They can result in paralysis, weakness or abnormalities including loss of sensation, coordination or intellectual capacity. The more difficult, often overlooked cases are those where neurological and mental changes are subtle. These may happen as a result of what appears to be a minor accident in which the brain is jarred. Symptoms, called soft signs, begin to appear afterwards, sometimes over long periods of time. In either case, a TBI can have a profound effect on quality of life, including inability to work, inability to interact socially and within the family, and loss of original body function.
Relevant Terminology:
Concussion
Occurs when the head receives a trauma and the brain is jarred inside the skull, which can end in a period of confusion
Retrograde AmnesiaLoss of memory of events that preceded the injury
Anterograde AmnesiaLoss of forward memory after the injury
Brain ContusionA bruise to the brain
Focal InjuryAn injury to one part of the brain leaving the other parts intact
Diffuse InjuryDenotes widespread damage
Contrecoup InjuryBrain damage occurring at the side of the brain opposite the trauma, caused by the cerebral spinal fluid drifting backwards. If the blow is hard enough, it forces the brain against the back of the skull.
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