california traumatic brain injury lawyer

Know What to Do Next ~

In the United States, someone suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every 15 seconds. A TBI is the most frequent cause of disability or death among children and adolescents, according to the Brain Injury Association. Approximately five million head injuries occur every year, and most result from what appears to be only a bump or bruise to the head, but is actually quite a bit more serious.

What Are the Symptoms?

Any head trauma has the possibility of also causing injury to the brain. A head injury can be suspicious for brain damage if the following symptoms are present: unconsciousness, headache, convulsions, dazed expression, drowsiness, vomiting, memory loss or amnesia concerning the injury, as well as unequal pupil size. In addition, more obvious symptoms can include a bloody nose or bleeding from the ear without any noticeable fractures or cuts. Following a head injury, it is important to keep close tabs on any changes and be prepared for questions such as, “When did this change begin?” Try to recall specifics surrounding your fall or accident and when your first noticed impairment. For example, if you’re feeling anxious or disoriented, what do you think may have brought this on?

Brain Injury Checklist

Take a look below at these common changes, including personality, neurological, intellectual and psychological impairments following a head injury.

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Over the past two months, there has been a lot of buzz around the NFL and head injuries. It began when Jahvid Best, running back for Cal Berkeley, landed on his head after a touchdown at Oregon State University on November 7. The NFL Commissioner recently announced the resignation of several committee members and assured the public that the league will soon require players with head injuries to consult independent neurologists for treatment.

The underlying issue is that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can have severe and long-lasting effects. A TBI is defined as any hit or shock to the head that affects brain function ranging from mild to severe. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, 28% of all TBI cases result from falls while 20% are attributed to motor vehicle-traffic accidents. Males are 1.5 times as likely to sustain a TBI over females.

Some short-term effects of TBI include irritability and confusion, headaches, nausea, loss of consciousness, memory loss and un-reactive or unequal pupils. The most common long-term symptoms of a TBI are loss of memory and problem solving skills as well as changes in behavior, language, emotion, and learning. Studies show that 40% of Americans hospitalized for a TBI had at least one unmet need for services one year after injury.

Brain injury and head trauma can be life-changing events and most commonly occur in infants from ages 0-4 and teenagers 15-19. If you or someone you love has suffered a brain injury from a car accident or fall on unsafe territory in California, you may be entitled to compensation. Call (818) 886-6600 to speak with an experienced Northridge traumatic brain injury lawyer at the Mandell Law Firm for a free consultation.

Sources:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/25/ED7A1APC6V.DTL; http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/5651/tedford-no-decision-on-best-return