It’s estimated that 8 million people sustain brain injuries each year in the United States. At
least 2 million of those injured will be permanently impaired.
After brain injury things
that once were easy and familiar become strange and difficult. A great deal of mental effort is
usually required to do things that required little or no effort before the brain injury. Work,
school and personal relationships suffer. The injured party often becomes less efficient at
their job and their livelihood is jeopardized. Often they become unpredictable, unreliable,
and sometimes violent. When the victim of brain injury is a child, they can develop behavioral
problems at home and school. Often they regress to an earlier development state. As you can imagine,
a brain injury can affect the entire family.
A head injury, also referred to as a traumatic
brain injury (TBI), occurs when the head is struck or hit by some external force. A brain injury or
closed head injury most often results when there is a blow to the head in a car accident or fall.
When an accident occurs the skull strikes a stationary object and the brain, which is inside the
skull, hits the skull and often turns and twists on its axis, causing serious injury.
This
type of head injury is called Diffuse Axonal Injury. After a closed brain injury, the rotation and
disruption of the brain inside the skull will sever or shear the brain's long connecting nerve
fibers or axons. This damage can be microscopic and difficult to measure objectively. In cases
involving "mild brain injury" the effects of this may be not be long term, but following more
severe brain injury it can result in permanent disability and unconsciousness and coma. Unfortunately,
there is no real treatment for diffuse axonal injury. Recent studies indicate the damage to axons
appears to progress over the first 12 to 24 hours after the injury.
After a head injury, a
variety of other damage may occur including: Hematoma (epidural, subdural and/or intracerebral);
Brain swelling/edema: Increased intracranial pressure; Cerebral vasospasm; Intracranial infection;
Epilepsy.
The long term affects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) include cognitive deficits,
reduction in physical and psychological skills. The Physical deficits can include walking, balance
and coordination, fine motor skills and strength. Cognitive deficits include difficulty in language
and communication, information processing, memory and perceptual skills.
Psychological status
is also often altered and people suffering from traumatic brain injury often exhibit changes personality
and lifestyle.
Our attorneys have had extensive experience in the area of brain injury law.
If you or someone you know has suffered a brain injury feel free to contact us.
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Brain Injury Website links
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Brain Injury Society
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www.bisociety.org
A quick response service to all brain injured individuals
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TBI Homepage
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www.tbichat.org
Chatrooms, message boards, stories, and poems written by survivors and caregivers.
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SW Brain Injury Rehab Service
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www.swbirs.nsw.gov.au
Injury rehabilitation server that provides assistance to survivors of brain injury
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Biotech Home Page
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www.texoma.com
Frequently asked questions about Brain Injury.
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Coma Recovery Association
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www.comarecovery.org
A non-profit organization for coma and brain injury survivors, family members, etc.
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TBI Resource Online
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www.comarecovery.org
Facts, employment opportunities, suggested literature rehab and product information on brain injury.
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Head Injury Outline
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www.headinjury.com
Guide to head injury facts
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Neurological Surgeons Association
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www.neurosurgery.org
Neurosurgical information online
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Brain Injury Association
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www.biausa.org
Provides information on prevention, treatment, rehab, resources, and support.
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Neurology Journal
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www.brain.oupjournals.org
Oxford University Press journals
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TBIHelp.com
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www.tbihelp.co
Provides information, resources, networking, and adovacy services to persons with brain injury and their families.
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Brain Injury Ring
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www.altelco.net
Homepages of brain injury survivors, caregivers, friends, family, and BI resources.
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American Academy of Neurology
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www.aan.com
Neurology homepage.
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Headway
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www.headway.org.uk
Headway National Head Injuries Association
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While you are waiting..
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www.waiting.com
Provides information, personal stories, advice, info on medical professionals, resources and support.
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