According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with brain injuries annually. Traumatic brain injury is responsible for a substantial number of permanent disability cases. Furthermore, the CDC estimates that at least 5.3 million people in the United States require long-term care as a result of traumatic brain injury. Additionally, at least 50,000 deaths are caused each year by brain injury. To schedule a consultation with a Scranton / Wilkes-Barre / Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania-area traumatic head and brain injury lawyer, contact our personal injury attorneys.
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Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
Generally, brain injuries are classified as being either mild or severe. So-called mild brain injuries typically result in a loss of consciousness, confusion, and/or disorientation for less than 30 minutes. While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the individual with a mild brain injury may suffer problems such as headaches, memory loss, attention deficit, mood swings, difficulty thinking, and frustration. Mild brain injuries are frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed (see medical malpractice).
Victims of a severe brain injury experience longer periods of unconsciousness and/or memory loss. Severe brain injuries can result in permanent cognitive and physical impairments, and they can leave a victim in a comatose state. Survivors of a traumatic brain injury may experience paralysis, abnormal speech, difficulty thinking, and/or emotional problems. The degree of recovery from a severe brain injury varies with each individual.
The effects of traumatic brain injury can be profound. Victims can remain in an unresponsive state for an extended period of time. For many traumatic brain injury victims, long-term rehabilitation is often necessary. Even "mild" brain injuries may result in dramatic changes to a victim's brain function, which may impact the victim's social and family life and the ability to perform work duties.
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Brain / Head Injury Causes
Traumatic brain injury is often caused by a blow to the head or a penetrating injury that causes disruption to the normal function of the brain. Brain injuries can be caused by auto collisions, slip and fall accidents, and workplace accidents. Other common causes of traumatic brain injury include physical assault, athletic injuries, shaken-baby syndrome, and accidents at home or outdoors. The leading causes of traumatic head and brain injury are:
- Falls. Slip and fall accidents account for approximately 28 percent of traumatic brain injury cases reported annually. These accidents are the leading cause of brain injury for children under age four and adults over age 75 years.
- Auto accidents. Motor vehicle accidents annually account for 20 percent of traumatic brain injuries.
- Head-impact events. These events, in which the head is jolted by a collision with a moving or stationary object, account for 19 percent of brain injuries that occur every year.
- Assaults. Violent encounters (often involving gunshot wounds) account for 11 percent of brain injuries reported annually.
Statistics provided by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
For more information about attaining compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and other hardships after a traumatic brain injury, contact the Foley Law Firm to schedule a complimentary consultation with a Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania-area traumatic head and brain injury attorney. We will evaluate your claim and help you achieve the compensation to which you are entitled. We have the resources and experience to maximize your claim, and access to the top experts in the nation.
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Contact a Pennsylvania Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one has suffered a severe head injury and you are seeking an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney, look no further than the Foley Law Firm. Our personal injury attorneys can help you maximize the compensation you can rightfully claim. Our legal team boasts decades of collective experience and our lawyers have successfully recovered million of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. Representing victims statewide, a Wilkes Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania-area traumatic head and brain injury attorney at our firm serves each client with the highest standard of representation, the utmost skill and diligence, and an unsurpassed level of personalized attention. Contact the Foley Law Firm today.
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