California Personal Injury Blog - Head & Brain Injuries

Do your Duty. Jury Duty.

Lawrence Knapp — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:41:50 GMT

As a trial attorney, I am always disheartened when I hear friends and acquaintances bash jury duty. I represent folks who have spinal injuries, broken arms and legs, head injuries or a family member has died. These are people who's lives have been seriously effected by the negligence of others. My clients are normal everyday folks, just like my friends and acquaintances, who need the civil justice system to provide them with a fair and just result. The right to a jury trial is one of the most important rights we enjoy in America and one that sets our country apart from most others. That right depends upon the willingness of citizens to serve as impartial jurors. Men used to settle disputes by gun fights. Now they settle disputes in a more civilized manner – in courtrooms. For many people, jury service is the only opportunity they will have in their lifetime to participate in our system of government. Although jury service is frequently inconvenient, studies show that most jurors come away from the experience with positive feelings about their jury duty – especially if they sit through a trial. So do your duty.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Lawrence Knapp

ABC Reports that Helmets can Prevent Head Injuries

Barbara Burks — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:21:20 GMT

In a short article by Alicia Malaby of News10 ABC in Sacramento, the truth comes out about helmets. It turns out, they can save your life. Shockingly, most people were not surprised by this revelation. The article didn’t seem to have much a goal other than to inform the public that they should were helmets while they are participating in outdoor sports.

Ms. Malaby did make reference to the recent death of actress Natasha Richardson, who was severely injured in a skiing accident. It is unknown if a helmet could have saved her life, but it is well-known that helmets can at least lessen the damage sustained to the head in most cases.

Dr. Sam Ciricillo of Sutter Neurosciences even went on record to say that a majority of head injury victims would have sustained less damage to their heads if they had been wearing a helmet. Still, this is not news.

Our office is a proponent of child safety and has always strongly encouraged the use of helmets while riding bicycles or motorcycles. Mr. Demas also makes sure the public knows that not all helmets are created equal. For the best protection a helmet should be approved by the Department of Transportation and/or the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The commentary on Ms. Malaby’s article is interesting. They believe that Ms. Malaby supports the creation of a law requiring helmets for skiiers. In reality, she only mentioned a lack of such a law.

What do you think? One commentator said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Is a helmet law for skiiers and snowboarders the answer? The general public is aware that helmets save lives and yet they choose not to wear them anyway. Is that their right? Should it be?

If it were up to the people, would you vote the requirement into law?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Barbara Burks

Is Lawsuit Involving Little League Bat Wrong?

Larry Knapp — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:49:50 GMT

Today a brain injured child's lawyer filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the metal bat (from which a baseball launched hitting the boy in the chest just above his heart causing it to arrest for 15 to 20 minutes), Little League Baseball (who endorsed the bat with a seal of approval) and Sports Authority (the retailer that sold the bat). The news of the lawsuit brought the usual knee jerk reaction from many bloggers:

Manny

Maynard, MA

"Why do people always look for a reason or throw blame without realizing that sometimes accidents just happen and that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent them."

Tom Davis

Jacksonville, FL

"Does this mean I can get drunk, fall down on the sidewalk and sue Budweiser for manufacturing beer, the bar for selling it and the city for installing a sidewalk?"

Brenda

Bourbon, IN

"Just HOW do you think this lawsuit is going to make the sport safer?"

Tory One

Atlanta, GA

"What a total embarassment for America, this is close on the boiling coffee case. "

I will be the first one to admit that I am biased. That said, people need to stop a moment and consider the damage these type of cavalier comments do to our civil justice system. It's the best system going. Period. There is no other on the planet that serves the function of requiring wrongdoers to take responsibility and fairly compensate the injured. In addition, the effect of a "big bad" lawsuit is to make corporate profiteers consider the consequences of the products they put on the market for the public to consume. This particular lawsuit may, at first blush, sound poor. However, maybe the plaintiff's lawyer can prove that the manufacturer, the retailer and the approving organization (who all made money) put an unreasonably dangerous product on the market. Maybe the plaintiff's lawyer can't. However, I would rather see this brain damaged child's future care be paid for by the entities that profited from the sale of a defective dangerous bat than out of public funds.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Larry Knapp

Another headache for veterans: the late effects of head injuries

Ray Mattison — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

There has been an uproar about the apparent cover up by the Army of the rate of soldier suicide. As reported in a recent San Francisco Chronicle article the suicide rate among soldiers is three to seven times the rate in the general population. 12,000 service personnel under treatment are attempting suicide each year, something the VA allegedly tried to cover up. Now Iraq veterans who suffer head injuries may have to worry about developing early "senility" type symptoms in later life. Recently published in the neurological journal Brain, this long term study of Vietnam veterans found worrisome declines in intellectual function and cognitive function now, 30 to 40 years later, stemming from their wartime injury. Two thirds of those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan who end up in Army medical centers suffer from head injuries. Researchers have expressed concern that this could be a medical time bomb set to go off years rom now unless it is addressed and treated now.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ray Mattison

Brain Injuries Lead to Mental Decline as Patients Age

Ray Mattison — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:55:11 GMT

A growing body of evidence indicates that people who suffer traumatic brain injuries can develop dementia like symptoms in later life. In a study published in the online journal Brain, a study of Vietnam Veterans which has been ongoing since 1967 found that brain injuries suffered by young soldiers was associated with a decline in intelligence and cognition in later life. The study compared injured veterans with those who were uninjured and found marked declines in functioning in those who suffered a brain injury in earlier life. The article also found that genetic differences played a surprising role in those who developed these symptoms. The more intelligent the veteran, the less the decline, a finding which matches other studies that the mentally active develop dementia later in life than those who are not. Nearly two thirds of US soldiers injured in Iraq and sent to the Army medical center have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, according to Dr. Jordan Grafman, one of the authors of the study.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ray Mattison

Potential New Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury

Randy Walton — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:40:43 GMT

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, the alma mater of both Randy Walton and Scott Barber, have identified a potential new therapy for chronic spasticity and rigity, and painful condition that is frequently the result of spinal cord injury.

According to yesterday's press release, in work with rats it has been demonstrated that an "AMPA receptor antagonist called NGX424 (tezampanel), being developed by Torrey Pines Therapeutics, Inc., of La Jolla, California, is highly potent in suppressing spasticity and rigidity."

Paraplegia from spinal cord ischemia is a serious complication that occurs in 20 to 40 percent of patients undergoing a surgical process called aortic cross-clamping. When the surgeon works on the aorta to correct a potentially lethal aneurysm, this large vessel carrying all of the blood flow from the heart must be temporarily blocked. If clamping occurs for more than 30 minutes, the procedure can result in the loss of specialized spinal cord neurons called spinal inhibitory neurons. Loss of these neurons can lead to irreversible spasticity and rigidity, or loss of muscle control, in the lower limbs.
"This exaggerated muscle tone, or uncontrolled spasms, is a serious complication of either ischemic or traumatic injury to the spinal cord -- such as injuries resulting from a diving or car accident," said Professor Martin Marsala. Several other conditions can lead to spasticity/rigidity, including brain trauma, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease - all of which lead to increased peripheral muscle tone.

The complete study will be published in the October 17 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Head and Brain Injury.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Randy Walton

South San Francisco Woman Suffers Brain Injuries in Hit and Run

Claude Wyle — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:20:51 GMT

A South San Francisco woman was struck by yet another hit and run driver while walking her dog this last Tuesday. The dog was killed and this woman suffered severe brain injuries. Although she is expected to survive this pedestrian accident, she will have to live with the day to day nightmare of serious head trauma. Some people in a following car chased the hit and run driver, but have yet to report what they saw to the police. No one has admitted to the pedestrian accident. Anyone with information, as well as the drivers of the vehicles that chased the suspect, are encouraged to call the South San Francisco Police Department Traffic Unit at (650) 877-8900. Hit and run claims are covered under the uninsured provisions of a person's family, so this woman's family should immediately file a claim for uninsured benefits under their own auto insurance policy, plus any medical payments benefits available. I am sure that this family's own insurance carrier will pay the policy limits
to the family without the need for an attorney. If you need help, please feel free to call upon us.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Head and Brain Injury

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Brain Damage A Cruel Legacy From Iraq War

Claude Wyle — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:36:55 GMT

The war in Iraq is still raging, but one legacy is already making itself known across America: an epidemic of brain-damaged GIs. Thousands of troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, or TBI. These blast-caused head injuries are so different from the ones doctors are used to seeing from falls or motorcycle or bicycle or car crashes, that helping these head injured patients is even more difficult.

Brain injury rehabilitation experts are seeing injuries they have never seen before, with symptoms overlapping with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These brain injuries are already a growing burden on the soldiers as well as on America, since our few rehab centers and programs are already over-taxed. The taxpayers owe it to the brain injured GIs to pay for their care and disability for life, and the loss to our society of these previously healthy and productive soldiers diminishes us all.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Head and Brain Injury.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Traumatic Brain Injuries From Car And Motorcycle Accidents

Claude Wyle — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:27:50 GMT

Astoundingly, 1.5-2 million people a year sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI) from motor vehicle accidents such as automobile accidents and motorcycle accidents, as well as bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents and falls, sport injuries, and other traumatic events. 500,000 of these TBIs are severe enough to require hospitalization, and 50,000 people die from complications of head injuries. It is estimated that 5.3 million are living with head injury related disabilities. So, where do you go if you suspect that you have suffered a possible traumatic brain injury? As brain injury attorneys, we recommend that you skip the general practitioner if you can, since they may not even be able to properly diagnose a brain injury, and head straight to a specialist such as a neurologist. If you are suffering from a post-concussive syndrome which is likely to pass quickly, then wait for a few months. If the symptoms are more than temporary, then you should probably see a neuropsychologist for testing. In later blogs, I will describe some of the signs and symptoms we advise our clients to look out for if they believe that they have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Head and Brain Injury.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Teen Suffers Head Injury in Slow Speed Accident

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 22:15:56 GMT

A 17-year-old girl was transported to St. Joseph Hospital after suffering a head injury in a slow moving accident, on Sunday, in a parking lot on State Highway 299.

According to California Highway Patrol, the girl was with three companions in a 1994 Chrysler LeBaron when they stopped to rest on the wayside. At which time an unlicensed male passenger borrowed the car keys from the driver to practice driving in the parking lot.

Two female passengers climbed onto the hood of the vehicle and the driver made a u-turn at slow speed. While making the turn, one of the females slipped from the hood and struck her head on the pavement. She began to convulse and lost consciousness.

She was immediately rushed to the hospital to St. Joseph Hospital.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole