Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force causes traumatic injury to the brain. Millions of Americans experience a TBI each year. TBI is usually caused by a violent blow, jolt or penetration to the head or body. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) called TBI the “silent epidemic” because “the complications from TBI, such as changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, or emotions, may not be readily apparent and awareness about TBI among the general public is limited.” With these things in mind, those who suffer a brain injury should seek the assistance of a Pasadena brain injury lawyer. An experienced injury attorney can assist in guiding you through the injury process and ensuring you know what to expect at each stage of the legal process.
TBI Statistics
- Over 1.7 million Americans experience a TBI each year
- 275,000 are hospitalized annually
- TBI is a contributing factor to a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States.
- 52,000 people die from TBI each year
Rights as a Traumatic Brain Injury Victim
If your traumatic brain injury was caused by some other person or organization, you can pursue a claim against that person or organization to recover payment for your losses. You or your Pasadena traumatic brain injury lawyer will need to prove that they did something wrong or careless. You’ll also need to show a direct link between those actions and your injuries.
Liability for causing a TBI can be in the millions of dollars and TBI cases are aggressively litigated in California. Diagnosing a TBI is complex. It requires an evaluation by specialists in several areas of medicine and science (e.g., neurologists, psychologists, radiologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, etc.). Our Pasadena and Los Angeles brain injury lawyers work with the necessary experts to ensure a proper diagnosis.
Whether your traumatic brain injury involved a car accident or motorcycle crash, work accident, sports accident, or a medical procedure caused by error or negligence, or any other cause, we have the experience, team, and process to investigate what happened and determine your legal rights and options. If we take your case, our Pasadena brain injury lawyers work with a skilled team of professionals to help assess both the causes and damages in your case.
If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury due to the negligence of another, you should consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. The Law Offices of Scott Glovsky serving Los Angeles and Pasadena has experience handling brain injury cases.
Symptoms May Take Time To Develop
Unlike other injuries, the full impact of a TBI may not be fully known at the time of the accident or even at the time of treatment. Often, symptoms appear days, weeks, even years after an initial diagnosis.
The long-term ramification of the injury may not be immediately known. This may result in additional and costly medical treatment in the future. Victims and their families may have to live with the results of a TBI for years, or even the rest of their lives.
Classification & Symptoms Of TBI
TBIs are classified by severity. Brain injuries can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe categories. There are different techniques or scales used to classify TBI. However, the systems have limited ability to predict outcomes.
Symptoms are dependent on numerous factors including the type of TBI (diffuse or focal); the part of the brain that is affected; and the injury’s severity.
Mild TBI symptoms can include: loss of consciousness, headache, vomiting, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and dizziness. Moderate and severe symptoms may include a headache that does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea and loss of coordination. Long-term symptoms may include alexithymia (a deficiency in identifying, understanding, processing, and describing emotions occurs in 60.9% of individuals with TBI); deficits in social judgment; changes inappropriate social behavior; and cognitive changes (especially problems with sustained attention, processing speed, and executive functioning).
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Children may share similar symptoms of TBI as adults. However, they generally have trouble communicating and appropriately describing symptoms. Children may manifest TBI symptoms in unique ways such as persistent crying, inability to be consoled, listlessness, refusal to nurse or eat, and irritability. A Coup Injury (aka Contrecoup Injury) is associated with cerebral contusions in which a part of the brain is bruised. This occurs when the moving head hits a stationary object or a moving object hits a stationary head. Contrecoup is also known as the shaken baby syndrome (SBS) and commonly occurs in car accidents when a driver slams on their brakes or gets hit from behind. The long-term effects SBS that result in subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and cerebral edema can have a devastating long-term effect on a child. You should seek legal representation immediately from a Pasadena brain injury lawyer if your child has been diagnosed with SBS.
TBI Symptoms Should Always Be Treated By A Physician
If you’re seeking compensation for a traumatic brain injury, hiring an experienced Pasadena brain injury lawyer is vital. The Law Offices of Scott Glovsky has been providing Pasadena and Los Angeles residents’ legal services for over fifteen years. We are experienced in dealing with brain injuries. A qualified lawyer with traumatic brain injury law experience is an asset in gaining compensation from those that caused the injury.
