Head trauma accident lawyers in Los Angeles on traumatic brain stem injuries

Los Angeles brain injury accidents can happen in a multitude of ways. Car accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip-and-falls – unfortunately, the attorneys in our office have seen it all. And since we have helped many different people who have suffered many different types of accidents, we have learned, from what we have seen along with research, how blows to different parts of the skull result in different problems suffered by the victims.

Learning about the brain and how it is affected by certain types of injuries can make all the difference in your recovery. If you are reading this blog because you have suffered a traumatic brain injury from a Southern California accident , we understand what you are going through and are sorry that you have to deal with it. But we hope that this information can help you focus on your recovery.

Let’s take a closer look at what happens when your head injury affects the brain stem, where the brain leads to the spinal cord. The brain stem is responsible for many of the body’s vital functions. These functions include:

- Digestion

- Blood pressure

- Body temperature

- Heart rate

- Swallowing

- Sweating

- Ability to sleep

- Balance

As you can see, all of these functions are extremely important for the body to operate correctly, and when one function is disabled, it is not uncommon for a ripple effect to occur. That ripple effect can lead to other problems that would have normally never occurred had it not been for the blow to the head.

When the brain stem is injured, problems such as the following arise:

- Inability to organize

- Difficulty with balance

- Dizziness

- Problems with speech

- Impaired movement

- Nausea

- Inability to swallow

- Insomnia or difficulty sleeping

Learning about the part of your brain that is injured can help you cope with the obstacles you may face, and also help you and your doctors come up with a strong game plan for recovery.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain stem injury due to an accident in the Los Angeles area, you need information. Contact the experienced Southern California traumatic brain injury lawyers at 800.350.8888 or by clicking here to fill out our online form. We can also provide you with a free copy of our book 7 Biggest Mistakes That Can Ruin Your California Injury Claim if you call us or click here.

February 28, 2011  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Types of Brain Injury  No Comments

Southern California head trauma lawyers on occipital lobe brain injuries

When you strike your head and suffer a traumatic brain injury in a Southern California accident, the part of your brain that is injured makes a huge difference in the medical problems that you may suffer.

In our previous blogs, we discussed the problems that can stem from traumas to the different parts of the brain, including the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Since each part of the brain controls different body functions, unfortunately, a traumatic brain injury victim can expect a wide array of issues.

Let’s take a look at the occipital lobe of the brain, which is located at the back of the head. Many times this portion of the skull is injured if you are struck from behind or if you fall on your back and hit your head on a hard surface, such as pavement. The primary function of the occipital lobe is vision, and it controls virtually every aspect of your sight.

As Los Angeles traumatic brain injury lawyers who specialize in helping head trauma victims, we most often see back-of-the-head injuries after these types of accidents:

- Pedestrians being struck by vehicles

- Workers who fall from heights, landing on their backs

- Bicyclists being run over on the road

- Motorcycle crashes

- Assault

- Defective steps or railings, causing victims to slip and fall

Since the occipital lobe is so important to vision function, according to the Center for Neuro Skills, damage to the lobe can cause many problems, including:

- Hallucinations

- Incorrectly seeing objects

- Difficulty seeing moving things

- Inability to recognize written words

- Having a hard time locating objects in an environment

These can be pretty scary problems to deal with, especially on top of the pain and suffering of the accident itself. Even scarier is not knowing how to handle the injury claim.

If you have a loved one who has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to an accident, let an experienced Los Angeles brain injury lawyer teach you how to protect your family’s rights. Call Steinberg and Spencer to order your free copy of their book 7 BIGGEST MISTAKES That Can Ruin Your California Injury Case by calling 800.350.8888 or by clicking here to fill out their online form for your free case evaluation.

February 27, 2011  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Types of Brain Injury  No Comments

Los Angeles head trauma lawyers: Frontal lobe traumatic brain injuries can cause paralysis, memory loss and other serious problems

The traumatic brain injury lawyers in our Southern California office want to pass along to our readers some insight on how injuries to different parts of the brain cause different problems for an accident victim.

Using information gathered from the Center for Neuro Skills, we gave you information in our previous blogs about the parietal and temporal lobes of the brain, what their functions are, as well as problems that can arise when these areas are injured.

Now we will take a look at the frontal lobe of the brain. Located in the very front of the brain, the frontal lobe can be injured when a person strikes their forehead. The most common frontal lobe traumatic brain injuries we see happen when a person strikes their forehead on a steering wheel or windshield during a Southern California car accident. The functions of the brain’s frontal lobe include:

- Consciousness, or our knowledge of what’s going on in our environment

- Judgment of daily activities

- Word association

- Memory

- Ability to use expressive language

- Emotional response

When a person injures their frontal lobe in a California accident, many problems can arise, including:

- Paralysis

- Inability to think flexibly

- Loss of spontaneity

- Difficulty with sequencing or multi-step tasks

- Frequent mood changes

- Problems focusing on a specific task

- Having a hard time problem solving

- Changes in personality and social behavior

If you have suffered a frontal lobe brain injury due to the negligence of another person, it is imperative that you learn how to protect your rights. Contact our experienced attorneys at Steinberg and Spencer immediately, by calling 800.350.8888, or by filling out our online form by clicking here.

February 26, 2011  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury  No Comments

Los Angeles head trauma lawyers on cerebellum brain injury accidents

Our Los Angeles brain injury accident lawyers have already written about the different types of head injuries, including those affecting the frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal lobes, as well as the brain stem.

With the help of information provided by the Center for Neuro Skills, along with the abundance of facts that we gather from helping clients who have suffered head injuries, we want to teach the community not only about these types of accidents, but also about how they affect your life.

Everything from vision and hearing to motor skills and emotions are at a risk for being impaired after a head trauma accident. But when the injury takes place at the base of the skull, the result can be especially life-changing. That part of the brain, also called the cerebellum, is responsible for these functions in the body:

- Coordination

- Balance

- Equilibrium

- Reflexes

- Memory of how the body should move

The reason we say that a blow to the cerebellum is especially life-changing is because it can affect what most people covet the most: their freedom. If you suffer a cerebellum injury, you are most likely going to face the following problems:

- Inability to walk

- Loss of ability to grab objects

- Problems making quick movements

- Incoherent or slurred speech

- Dizziness

- Body shakes

Almost all of these problems would require the victim to be completely dependent on another person. Eating, drinking, walking, using the restroom, or speaking could be virtually impossible. And when the accident that caused the brain injury is the result of someone else, the victim will most likely also be dealing with serious feelings of anger and confusion.

That is why it is so important to contact a Los Angeles attorney who specializes in cerebellum brain injury accidents.  Let an attorney tackle the tough questions regarding insurance claims, lost wages and pain and suffering while you focus on getting better. If you have questions about your injury or hiring an attorney, order a free copy of our book, 7 BIGGEST Mistakes that Can Ruin Your California Injury Claim by calling 800.350.8888 or by clicking here.

February 25, 2011  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Types of Brain Injury  No Comments

Temporal lobe brain injuries | Southern California traumatic brain injury lawyers

Our Southern California brain injury accident lawyers, with the help of the Center for Neuro Skills, have taken a look at the different parts of the brain and how they are affected by traumatic brain injuries. Since no two people are the same, just as no two accidents are the same, these are just guidelines. But knowing how a trauma to a specfic part of your head affects the specific part of the brain underneath your skull can help you anticipate the problems you may experience. For example, if you strike the side of your head in a car accident, chances are you have injured the temporal lobe of your brain.

The temporal lobe is responsible for such things as:

- Hearing

- Memory

- Visual perceptions

- Categorizing objects

When a person injurers their temporal lobe in an accident, he or she could experience difficulties such as:

- Problems identifying objects and verbalizing what they are

- Having a hard time understanding spoken words

- Difficulty with long-term memory

- Inability to recognize faces

- Persistent talking

- Development of selective hearing or selective vision

- Short-term memory loss

Many times injuries to the temporal lobe happen when a person is riding in a car that is struck from the side, commonly known as being “T-boned.” The passenger or driver may strike the side of their head on the window. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury from an accident in Southern California, you need information. Contact our experienced lawyers at 800.350.8888 or by clicking here to fill out our online form, and learn how to protect your rights after an accident.

February 23, 2011  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Types of Brain Injury  No Comments

Can fish oil help protect the brain from traumatic brain injury? | Southern California head trauma lawyers

Although preliminary, a recent study at West Virginia University suggests that the regular intake of Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent traumatic brain injuries.

The way that it works is this: Suppose you have suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by a California accident, but you have been taking Omega-3 supplements regularly for years. The study suggests that your brain might be more protected than normal since the acids found in the supplements are the same ones found in the brain, often referred to as “neuroprotectors.”

The potentially helpful acids are called docosahexanoic acids, or DHA, and are commonly found in over-the-counter fish oil supplements. Fish oil has been widely used to aid in growth and development, and is also believed to help concentration.

The study looked at the effects of traumatic brain injuries after the regular consumption of DHA – 40 mg per kilogram of body weight – versus no consumption at all. The results showed that the brain damage was significantly less in the brains that were exposed to the supplement. Another notable observation was that in the DHA brains, there was also a lower amount of beta amyloid protein, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

If these findings prove to have merit, researchers are suggesting that people at a high risk for traumatic brain injuries, such as those in the military or people who are regularly involved in contact sports like football, should take fish oil or other DHA supplements as a safety precaution.

Regardless of whether you have been taking these supplements, if find yourself with a traumatic brain injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, it is important to contact an experienced Southern California car accident injury lawyer. Our lawyers at Steinberg Spencer are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 800.350.8888 or by clicking here to fill out their online form if you have questions about how to deal with an accident that was caused by the negligence of another person.

February 22, 2011  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment  No Comments

Brain injury victims three times more likely to die within 13 years of accident | Los Angeles brain injury lawyers

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that traumatic brain injury victims are at a higher risk of death for up to 13 years after an accident involving a head trauma.

While the greatest chance of survival lies within the first year after the accident, the study still found that those who suffered a traumatic brain injury were more than three times more likely than healthy people to die from circulatory, respiratory, digestive, psychiatric and external causes.

The study observed 2,000 people, of whom 757 had suffered some sort of traumatic brain injury. Of the brain injury victims, 305 of them (roughly 40%) had passed away within 13 years after the accident. Out of the other 1,243 people in the study, all were considered healthy and only 19% of those people died within 13 years.

Brain injury was found to be the number one cause of trauma deaths in the study, and it is important to note that the severity of the injury had little to no effect on the outcome of mortality within those 13 years.

It’s common knowledge that brain injury accidents are serious, life-changing events that can prove to be fatal. What most people do not know, however, is what to do if you have ever suffered one. If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury due to the negligence of another person, there are certain steps you must take to protect your legal rights.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious brain injury in California, contact our experienced attorneys at Steinberg and Spencer immediately by calling 800.350.8888 or filling out our online form by clicking here.

February 21, 2011  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

California traumatic brain injury myth: Plateaus in improvement mean recovery is complete

For many patients who suffer traumatic brain injuries from California car accidents hitting a plateau in recovery can be frustrating, especially for your loved ones.

Many times patients take this plateau to mean that they have recovered as much as they are going recover. But according to the book Traumatic Brain Injury and Vocational Rehabilitation, this is a myth.

When you find yourself or your loved one not making any more improvements, it is important to realize that additional recovery is still possible – and also remember to not lose hope.

The book warns that when that when recovery seems to be at a standstill, it is not uncommon for therapists and other health care professionals to assume the myth is true, and then stop or scale back treatment. But what you must remember is that recovery from a head trauma is different than the healing of a broken bone or the fading of a scar. Patients might show signs of improvement and then fall back a few steps, which can be discouraging. Continued support and rehabilitation is imperative, even when progression in health is not always there.

It is also not uncommon for great bounds in recovery to occur years down the road. A positive change in your life, such as increased social interaction or a new form of support from a dedicated counselor or group can cause improvements that to many seem miraculous.

Don’t give up hope if you or your loved one has reached a flat place in recovery. Keep up with the same rehab and push ahead. It doesn’t mean that the mountain you’re overcoming is no longer there.

Has your loved one suffered from a serious head injury? Contact our traumatic brain injury lawyers in California at Steinberg and Spencer by calling 800.350.8888. Or click here to fill out our online form for your free case evaluation.

February 20, 2011  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment  No Comments

Myths about California traumatic brain injuries | Recovery will always take place within one year

In our last blog on California traumatic brain injuries, we discussed the idea that there are certain myths associated with head trauma accidents. Accepting the fact that you or your loved one may never make a full recovery is hard to do, but can ultimately avoid further pain and suffering when you make realistic short-term goals instead of overly optimistic ones.

Our next myth about traumatic brain injuries regards idea that any recovery that will take place will happen within one year of the initial injury. According to the book Traumatic Brain Injury and Vocational Rehabilitation, this is not always the case.

The authors of this book contradict this myth for the following reasons:

1. Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury. Research has shown that the more severe an injury, the longer it takes a patient to recover. This may seem obvious, but when you are hearing from a physician that any possible recovery is going to happen within the first twelve months, it’s hard to see past month thirteen.

2. Statistics only focus on groups of people. There are many cases where recovery went above and beyond expectations, but since results are usually only reported for the whole group involved in the study, they are hardly ever heard about.

3. Physical improvement is different from neurological or cognitive improvement. A lot can happen in a year – relationships can be made, stressful events can take place, a birth or death in the family can occur. These emotional events can aid or inhibit recoveries in the brain, whereas the healing of a broken leg, for example, is immune to emotional changes.

Contact our experienced traumatic brain injury lawyers at Steinberg and Spencer by calling 8500.350.8888 for your free, no-obligation consultation or by filling out our online form by clicking here.

February 19, 2011  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment  No Comments

Brain injury myths: Victims always make a “full” recovery | Southern California brain injury lawyers

Suffering a brain injury as a result of a California car accident can be nearly impossible for a victim and his or her family to comprehend – especially when that accident wasn’t your fault.

Asking yourself the unanswerable questions like, “Why me?” or “Why did this have to happen?” is natural, but won’t change that fact that you or your loved one is in for a long recovery.

Since many people don’t know the severity of problems that a brain injury can cause, it is common for families to make optimistic assumptions about the recovery. Having a positive attitude about getting better is definitely a key element, but it is also important to be realistic and make sure that everything you are doing benefits the patient first, not your hopes and dreams of a fast road back to a normal life.

According to the book Traumatic Brain Injury and Vocational Rehabilitation, there are several myths that traumatic brain injury victims and their families tend to believe after an accident. In our next series of blogs, we will take a look at these myths, and find out what you can do to avoid them.

The first myth is about the concept of “recovery.” Many California car accident injuries involve broken arms, fractured legs, torn ligaments, or back and neck injuries. The patient is usually rushed to the ER, diagnosed, maybe has a cast or two put on their limbs, spends time in the hospital or participates in physical therapy, and then a few months later is, for the most part, “healed.”

With head injury victims, that is not the case. The basic steps are the same: emergency room, diagnosis, time in the hospital, therapy. But the myth that many families fall for is the idea that their loved one is going to be fully recovered when they walk out of the hospital doors or even a few months later. Even though the victim can walk and talk does not mean that they are recovered or that they can jump right back into their normal lives. And unfortunately, they might not ever see a full recovery.

Facing this fact is imperative to ensure that expectations aren’t set too high, and that feelings of frustration, denial or disappointment are mitigated. The best thing to do is talk with doctors, have a family meeting, and make short-term goals. It’s still possible to stay optimistic (in fact, it’s encouraged!) but also important to be realistic.

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in Southern California, you need information. Contact the experienced Southern California traumatic brain injury lawyers at 800.350.8888 or by clicking here to fill out our online form.

February 18, 2011  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments