San Jose Brain Injury Attorneys
Brain injuries change their victims' lives forever, because unlike most tissues of the body, brain tissue does not grow back. Once a victim loses brain tissue, the functions associated with that tissue will likely be lost or significantly changed for the rest of the victim's life. The body, and medical science, may learn ways to compensate, but recovery is often a slow and frustrating process for victims and the families who support them.
Most brain injuries sustained in the United States are traumatic brain injuries. That means the injury was sustained from some sort of violent blow, which could be caused by a pierce wound, hitting the head sharply against something, or even shock waves from a nearby explosion. Brain injuries can also be sustained without a blow; oxygen deprivation during childbirth is one example of a non-traumatic brain injury. But whatever the source, victims of brain injuries face a bewildering array of possible lifelong consequences. Because the brain is so complex, and is responsible for nearly everything human beings do, damage to the brain could have many serious consequences, including:
- Physical disabilities resulting from the brain's inability to control motor skills.
- Seizures.
- Trouble speaking, for the same reason or because memory was damaged.
- Trouble remembering things, either before or after the injury.
- Mental damage, such as learning disabilities.
- Personality changes, including problems with socially appropriate behavior.
- Emotional problems.
- Mental illness; research shows that brain injuries are associated with both schizophrenia and depression.
Some brain injuries are so mild that even the victim may not notice them at first, especially if he or she is also dealing with other injuries, shock or a stressful situation. The effects of mild traumatic brain injuries can also build up over time, becoming cumulatively more damaging than the sum of the damage each individual injury caused.
Because brain injuries are so complex, they generally require intensive medical treatment. Even after the initial treatment, which may include surgery, brain injury patients will likely have years of physical and occupational therapy ahead of them, and may need more surgeries, regular medication, therapy or other expensive long-term care. An experienced brain injury attorney can help victims and their loved ones identify all of the treatments they are likely to need and win compensation for them, as well as for the initial treatments, other costs related to the injury, lost wages, permanent disability, pain and suffering and other damages.
If you or someone you care about sustained a brain injury because of another person's carelessness, you should speak with the experienced California brain injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates as soon as possible. We have won millions of dollars for our clients, and we're proud of our record of aggressively representing the interests of Northern California brain-injury patients and their families. We believe that all brain injury victims deserve competent, aggressive representation in court. For a free evaluation of your case, call Van Der Walde & Associates today at 1-877-862-6288.
