Brain Injury

Suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) just once in life may have lasting mental and physical repercussions on a victim, but suffering countless TBIs over the years may leave a person with severe disabilities that only get worse over the years. To prove this, over 1,200 former National Football League (NFL) players have come together in a class action lawsuit against the league concerning their head injuries and the lack of action the NFL took in helping them.

According to The Washington Post, the lawsuit claims that the NFL misled players about the risks of head injuries and was negligent about their TBI treatment. Former players such as Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, now 57, are suffering from serious memory loss issues due to a lack of oxygen to the brain which will only get worse as time passes. Another player, 76-year-old former defensive tackle Alex Karras, suffers from dementia that keeps him from being able to drive or cook, two of his passions.

While the injuries themselves are severe and debilitating, the fact that there is no support or insurance from the NFL to help them deal with their conditions, only the money they made when they were players, adds to the worsening of their state. While the NFL is now conducting research into brain damage and brain diseases in later life, it was as recent as 2009 when the league refused to acknowledge any connection between football head injuries and degenerative diseases.

Suffering a TBI not only endangers the person at the time of injury, but can have lasting effects that alter mood, memory, temperament, body control, and many other functions. These may last a lifetime and worsen with age, requiring expensive medical care that a victim cannot pay for on their own.

Those who suffer TBIs due to other parties’ actions deserve compensation for their injuries and losses. The San Jose traumatic brain injury lawyers at Van Der Walde & Associates have the years of experience needed to successfully pursue compensation on your behalf. Call us today for a consultation on your case at (877) 862-6288.

The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a Boston-based sports advocacy group seeking injury prevention and education for athletes of all ages, announced on February 3 that it is calling for a hit count to be put in place for children playing contact sports. According to The Huffington Post, this hit count would keep track of how many times each player comes in hard contact with another and set a limit on how many times they can take a hit before having to stop.

The goal of the SLI’s hit count would specifically focus on preventing head injuries, such as concussions, in order to prevent serious brain trauma which is especially dangerous at a young age when a child’s brain functions are still developing. While football would be the most obvious of sports to be targeted by the hit count, the organization says that soccer, ice hockey, and rugby would also be subjected. Although even one hard hit is enough to cause a traumatic brain injury, athletes often absorb multiple blows per game.

According to research, a high school football player takes an average of 1,000 hits per season, and others are exposed to as many as 2,500. Under the rules of a hit count, players would have currently undetermined limits on hits per day, week, season, and year, with mandatory rest required after any exposure to brain trauma.

Any form of traumatic brain injury can have lasting repercussions far beyond the immediate symptoms felt by a victim, resulting in permanent brain damage and various losses of cognitive function. When such an injury is due to the negligence or reckless actions of another party, those affected can seek financial compensation for their losses. The Northern California traumatic brain injury lawyers at Van Der Walde & Associates can help you find fair and full compensation for yourself or any loved one who has suffered such a devastating injury. For more information on how we can aid you in your case, call our offices today at (877) 862-6288.

The greatest factor in the effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be something that is all around us: oxygen.

A new study published in Neurosurgery, the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, has found that a lack of oxygen supply to brain tissue, or brain hypoxia, rendered vulnerable after a TBI is a major factor in the occurrence of death or severe disability. Although other contributors in serious injury to the brain, such as pressure on the brain and brain blood flow, have a large role in whether a brain injury will have damaging effects, a lack of oxygen to the brain alone can have dire consequences.

Brain hypoxia can play an especially large role in the short-term effect of TBI. According to Newswise.com, the study assessed 103 patients who had suffered TBI and monitored brain oxygen supply, pressure, and blood flow, and found that 43 percent of patients who suffered a poor flow of oxygen to the brain sustained a severe disability or death. The study also found that oxygen flow played a more critical role in the chance of recovery for a patient and that the longer a patient suffered from brain hypoxia, the less likely they were to fully recover.

The study lines up with a recent guideline revision for TBI intensive care that calls for brain oxygen monitoring. Traumatic brain injury creates the possibility that many complications could arise in a victim, including disability, paralysis, and even death. As such, those who sustain TBI must be taken to a hospital immediately and monitored closely in order to prevent serious and long-lasting complications from occurring.

The Santa Cruz brain injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates have years of experience fighting for the rightful compensation of those who suffer traumatic brain injuries due to the negligent or reckless actions of another. If you or a loved one has suffered a TBI, call our offices at (877) 862-6228 for a free consultation on your case today.

Any accident in which a person’s head is injured may produce a traumatic brain injury. The most common type of traumatic brain injury is concussion, which occurs when a blow to the head bruises the brain. Skull fractures, jaw injuries, and objects that pierce the skull or brain may also cause traumatic brain injuries.

Even a mild traumatic brain injury needs immediate medical care in order to prevent further injury and maximize the patient’s chances of recovery. Mild concussions or other injuries often have symptoms like head pain, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and/or confusion. Neck or back pain may also be present, especially if the injury occurred during a car crash or a slip and fall accident. The injured person may not remember the event that caused the injury, but the person should be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible if a head injury is suspected.

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries may cause unconsciousness, seizures, or weakness, numbness, or tingling in one or more body areas. The person may be in severe pain or unable to stop vomiting. If severe traumatic brain injuries are not treated quickly, they can result in paralysis, loss of coordination or balance, loss of memory, or mood disorders. Some traumatic brain injuries are fatal.

Medical care should always be the first priority after any accident. Once a patient is stable, however, it’s wise to consult with a San Jose brain injury attorney with experience in representing people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. At Van der Walde & Associates, our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you determine what caused a brain injury and hold any negligent parties responsible for their actions. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at 877-862-6228.

Brain injuries are often difficult to diagnose and can permanently alter the lives of its victims, physically, mentally, and emotionally since the brain is a highly complex and integral part of the body’s daily functioning. Unfortunately, it is also vulnerable. Although the brain can construct new neural connections to take over destroyed ones, many San Jose brain injury victims will never regain their full brain function.

There are various types of brain injury, the common of which is traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is a form of acquired brain injury (ABI), meaning the injury to the brain occurred after birth and is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or caused by birth trauma. According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), TBI is defined as “an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force.” The severity of TBI can range from mild; with temporary symptoms such as headaches, balance problems, and nausea; to severe, which can result in a coma, vegetative state, or locked in syndrome. As they vary in severity, brain injuries result from a variety of causes.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading causes of traumatic brain injury are:

• 35.2 percent are due to falls;
• 21 percent are due to unknown causes;
• 17.3 percent are due to motor vehicle accidents;
• 16.5 percent are due to being struck by or against a moving or stationary object; and
• 10 percent are due to assault.

Other causes of TBI may include bicycle accidents and sports injuries.

After any head trauma, it is imperative that the victim immediately receive medical care. Emergency personnel will determine the severity of the brain injury and determine the best course of treatment. Brain injury can result in a range of outcomes. Brain injury victims may be treated and released from an emergency department with temporary symptoms; they may be hospitalized, treated, rehabilitated, and released with partial loss of brain and/or body function; they may be hospitalized permanently due to almost complete loss of brain and body function; or, in very severe cases, they may die.

Suffering a brain injury can be very traumatic for the victim and their family, especially the life-altering injury was caused by the negligent or reckless actions of another. If your loved one is no longer who they once were because of a traumatic brain injury, the compassionate San Jose traumatic brain injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates, LLP can help. We believe in holding negligent parties responsible for the pain and suffering they cause and can provide you with the legal advice and action your family needs to recover the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to tell us how we can help you at 877-862-6288.