Brain and Spinal Injuries

Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries can alter your life and impact your family. Both can have long-lasting repercussions on the victim in the form of medical bills, physical pain, and emotional distress. Raynes & Lawn represents those with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries by helping them to recover damages from negligent individuals or companies.

Different Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, “A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow to the head or a head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain.” Every year in the United States, there are two million people who will suffer traumatic brain injuries that require emergency care. While 75 percent of the injuries are mild, some will have debilitating effects. As a result, traumatic brain injuries are one of the leading causes of disability and death in the country. In short, a traumatic brain injury can be life-changing for the victim and their family.

There are several types of traumatic brain injuries, including:

• Cerebral contusion: Swelling in the brain caused by internal bleeding.
• Concussion: This brain injury often occurs in contact sports. However, these injuries can be present when you suffer a blow to the head.
• Coup-contrecoup injury: When an object impacts that head, there will be bruising on the brain. The site of impact will sustain a coup injury, and the opposite side will have a contrecoup injury.
• Diffuse axonal injury: Lesions in a person’s brain can cause them to fall into a coma.
• Hypoxia: When the brain loses the oxygen supply, the brain cells will start to die.
• Intraventricular hemorrhage: Premature infants will experience bleeding into the brain’s ventricular system.
• Subdural hematoma: A tear in the arteries or veins can cause blood to collect on the surface of the brain, and it can lead to a blood clot.

Severe Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

The most severe brain injuries can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. These injuries can impair emotional responses, cognitive abilities, and physical functioning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 52,000 people will die from these injuries.

Wrongful death is the most severe consequence of a brain injury, but it is not the only one. Lethargy, headaches, loss of consciousness, blurred vision, and personality changes are some of the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries. These injuries can bring out other adverse impacts, such as permanent disability. Along with these issues, hospital bills, long-term medical care, and physical therapy will create a financial burden.

When someone suffers a traumatic brain injury, there will be long-lasting consequences for the individual and their family. For those who experienced a brain injury as a result of intentional actions or neglect, then the victim and their family should receive compensation for these injuries and financial losses.

Traumatic brain injuries can occur in several ways, including:

• Slip-and-fall accidents
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Sports Injuries
• Medical errors
• Diseases
• Product defects

The Consequences of a Spinal Injury

Like a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries can also have devastating effects on a person’s life. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), over 12,000 Americans will suffer from spinal cord injuries per year. These injuries are caused by a severe impact on the spinal area. In some situations, the damage will not be apparent for several days until the swelling and bleeding start to affect the spinal cord. The spinal cord delivers signals from the brain to the rest of the body. With a severe injury to the spinal cord, there will be catastrophic consequences to the victim’s brain functionality as their ability to communicate to the brain is limited.

With a spinal cord injury, there might be partial or full loss of motor control or sensation in the body. Some injuries are so severe that they can result in paralysis of the legs or all of the limbs. The spinal cord sends signals throughout the body to control many bodily functions. When the spinal cord is injured, there may be severe health and quality of life issues.

Since many spinal cord injuries are not present immediately, you do need to be aware of the common symptoms, including:

• Pain in the neck, head, or back areas
• Numbness in the fingers, hands, feet, or toes
• Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of movement in parts of the body
• Loss of sensation
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Muscle spasms

Several Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury is often the outcome of a traumatic injury or severe blow to the spinal area. Spinal cord injuries can also be the result of a disease or medical issue. However, there are other causes of spinal cord injuries, including:

• Falls
• Medical malpractice
• Vehicle accidents
• Recreational activities
• Surgical errors
• Violence

Negligence Can Lead to These Injuries

With both traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries, there is a possibility that negligence caused these issues. The plaintiff must prove all the elements of negligence with these claims. If you were injured in a car accident, the other driver might be responsible for your injuries. Hospitals can be negligent in many ways, including failing to supervise patients that resulted in a slip and fall. Inadequate care or medical malpractice can lead to permanent spinal cord injuries in a patient. Product distributors might also be at fault for injuries if their products were unsafe and caused damage to a person.

When negligence is the cause of your brain or spinal injury, you will need help to recover damages in your situation. Raynes & Lawn understands the importance of investigating your situation to recover a settlement for bodily injury and damages. Life-changing injuries due to someone’s negligence can be prevented, and these actions should be held to the highest standard of the law. We will work with you to build a strong claim and help to recover damages for you and your family in this challenging situation.

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