New Haven Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys

Traumatic brain injuries have been identified as a public health crisis by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization. About 75% of all traumatic brain injuries are concussions or other forms of mild traumatic brain injury. While concussions and other forms of mild traumatic brain injuries in New Haven are often dismissed as temporary and relatively mild injuries with no permanent ramifications, in reality, they can result in serious and lasting damage to your brain. A concussion is a form of mild traumatic brain injury that generally occurs as a result of a sudden blow or jolt to the head. According to the CDC, 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year.

Furthermore, among patients between the ages of 10 – 18 years of age, who visited an emergency room for a sports-related head injury, 39% were diagnosed with concussions. Another 24% were diagnosed with possible mild traumatic brain injuries. At Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, while we cannot reverse your injury or the extent of damage it has caused you, we can help you secure financial compensation to pay for medical bills and to support your future and your family.

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury in New Haven

A traumatic brain injury affects everyone’s brain differently, depending on where the brain injury occurs and how strong the blow was. But there are usually both short-term and long-term effects.

While the short-term effects can last a few hours to a few weeks, the long-term effects are usually more serious and can last anywhere from a few months to many years. Some effects can be permanent.

Some of the most notable symptoms of a New Haven traumatic brain injury are as follows:

• Loss of consciousness;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Dizziness;
• Sensitivity to light;
• Confusion;
• Amnesia;
• Fatigue;
• Ringing in the ears;
• Seeing flashes of light;
• Headaches and migraines; and
• Difficulty remembering things, concentrating, or learning new things

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention right away. If a traumatic brain injury is recognized and treated early on, permanent brain damage can be prevented.

Common Causes of a New Haven Traumatic Brain Injury

The statistics regarding sports and recreation-related concussions in the United States are indeed alarming. But people suffer traumatic brain injuries in a variety of different circumstances, including:

• Slip and fall accidents;
• Motor vehicle accidents; and
• Workplace accidents

The most common causes of traumatic brain injury in the United States are:

• Falls (47%)
• Being hit by a falling object (15%)
• Traffic accidents (14%)
• Assault to the head (9%)

In addition, a traumatic brain injury can be caused by any force that causes the head to move but is not a direct blow. In fact, motor vehicle accident experts agree that even an accident that results in no serious damage to the vehicle can involve enough kinetic energy to cause the occupants of that vehicle to suffer traumatic brain injuries.

How Traumatic Brain Injuries Occur

To understand how traumatic brain injuries occur, let’s say that one day you are riding your bicycle around the neighborhood when you crash, fall, and hit your head. The impact makes your brain collide with the inside of your skull, stretching and tearing some of your brain tissue. You have just sustained a traumatic brain injury.

Normally, your brain is suspended in a protective liquid called cerebral spinal fluid. This fluid allows your brain to stay put, even as your body moves. But the high force impact caused by a sudden blow or jolt to the head overwhelms the protection provided by this fluid and causes damage.

Many people believe that you have to be knocked unconscious to have suffered a traumatic brain injury. But, it’s important to know that the overwhelming majority of New Haven traumatic brain injuries occur without any loss of consciousness.

How Are New Haven Traumatic Brain Injuries Detected?

When you sustain a traumatic brain injury, your brain cells ask the rest of your body for help by sending out chemical distress signals called biomarkers. Researchers can use special laboratory equipment to detect and measure biomarkers in your blood or saliva.

Two such blood tests have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and soon doctors will be able to use these tests to diagnose traumatic brain injuries. But, until then, doctors will continue to diagnose a New Haven traumatic brain injury by examining you and asking you (and often your family and friends) a series of questions about your physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms.

Other ways of detecting a traumatic brain injury include:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – high-resolution images that contrast the differences between brain tissues. An MRI can detect tiny bleeding in the brain by imaging hemosiderin deposits.
• Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) – a neuroimaging technique that is 3 to 6 times more sensitive than traditional MRI methods.
• Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) – can identify traumatic brain injuries by imaging cerebral blood flow.
• Functional MRI – used in a growing number of studies to understand how the normal functions of the brain are disrupted by injury.

How Are Traumatic Brain Injuries in New Haven Treated?

Traumatic brain injuries can range in severity from mild to severe. In mild cases, you may be prescribed rest and prescription medications or be advised to take over-the-counter medications like Advil or Aleve. In more severe cases, you may be required to undergo physical therapy, brain scans, and/or drug therapy to minimize pain and prevent complications.

Individuals who sustain a traumatic brain injury are 4 to 6 times more likely to sustain a second traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, the effects of a New Haven traumatic brain injury are cumulative in individuals who return to strenuous activities too soon.

Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) is when a second traumatic brain injury occurs before the first one has healed. The second injury often results in rapid swelling and widespread damage, and emergency treatment is often needed due to the seriousness of the injury.

So, What Does This Mean For You?

After you have sustained a traumatic brain injury, your brain needs complete rest. This means no television, no time in front of a computer, and no strenuous activity. What started out as a mild concussion, for example, could become a much more serious problem in the future if you do not take the necessary time to recover.

So, even though you may not be able to see the harm done to your brain, the way you could see a broken arm, a traumatic brain injury is a serious medical condition. This means that if you have suffered a traumatic brain injury in New Haven, or believe that you have, you need to:

1. Seek medical attention right away;
2. Follow the prescribed treatment;
3. Get the rest you need to heal properly; and
4. Consult with an experienced New Haven personal injury attorney who specializes in traumatic brain injury cases. If you sustained a traumatic brain injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages and income, pain and suffering, and much more.

Contact Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyers

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence in New Haven, Connecticut or the surrounding areas, call Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante at 203-333-3333, toll-free at 888-692-7403 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

Our knowledgeable and experienced New Haven traumatic brain injury lawyers will support you through every step of the legal process and ensure that you recover all the compensation that you or your loved one will need to cover your medical treatment, rehabilitation, and daily care for the rest of your life.