West Palm Beach, Florida Personal Injury Lawyers

An injury to the brain can be caused by a fracture or penetration of the skull. Such injuries can be as a result of direct trauma to the head (resulting from an auto accident, fall or gunshot wound), a disease process (neurotoxins, infections, tumors, metabolic abnormalities, etc.) or a closed head injury such as in the case of Shaken Baby Syndrome or rapid acceleration or deceleration of the head. These injuries can have devastating lifelong effects on the physical and mental functioning of the survivor.

If you were diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury or if you received any type of serious head injury time may be a factor.  Please CONTACT US today to receive your free consultation.

 Depending on the location and severity of the injury, the body can be affected in a number of ways. When the injury results from head trauma, damage to the brain may occur at the time of impact or may develop later due to swelling (cerebral edema) and bleeding into the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage) or bleeding around the brain (epidural or subdural hemorrhage). When the head is hit with sufficient force, the brain turns and twists on its axis (the brain stem), interrupting normal nerve pathways and causing a loss of consciousness. If this unconsciousness persists over a long period of time, the injured person is considered to be in a coma, a condition caused by the disruption of the nerve fibers going from the brain stem to the cortex.

If the injury is severe, as in the case of an acceleration-deceleration injury in which the moving head impacts against a hard, fixed surface, multiple areas of the brain are damaged. Upon impact, the brain rebounds forward and backward against the skull (this is called coup-contracoup), which tears the subdural veins, causes damage to the temporal lobes as they move across the rough bony structures within the skull, and results in bleeding, swelling of the brain stem, and shearing of the blood vessels and nerve fibers.

The term "closed head injury" is used when the brain has been damaged without penetration of the skull by another object. One example of this is Shaken Baby Syndrome, in which the brain is damaged by severe and violent shaking or twisting. Such injury often occurs without leaving obvious external signs. The difference between closed and penetrating injuries can be profound.

In a bullet wound to the head, for example, a large area of the brain may be destroyed but the resulting neurologic deficit may be minor if that area was not a critical one. In contrast, closed head injuries result in more widespread damage and can result in more extensive neurologic deficits. These deficits can include ete paralysis, cognitive, behavioral, and memory dysfunction, persistent vegetative state, and death. These last two are the most feared outcomes in cases of brain injury, however advances in trauma care have led to decreased rates for both in recent years.

Brain injuries can be very difficult to diagnose and often go unnoticed by treating doctors. Oftentimes, mild brain injuries do not even require a hospital stay, yet they result in changes so severe that lives are impacted for many years (or permanently). They can cause physical, cognitive, social, and vocational changes and, in many cases, recovery becomes a lifelong process of adjustments and accommodations for the individual and the family.

Depending on the extent and location of the injury, impairments caused by a head injury can vary widely. Some common side effects include difficulties with memory, mood, and concentration. Others include in organizational and reasoning skills, learning, cognition, and executive functions.

Changes in memory, social and organizational skills after a brain injury makes it difficult to function in complex environments. Only individuals and families who live with brain injury can truly understand the experience. You and your family have lived the experience and by necessity learned about brain injury and its consequences. Others will not fully understand because they lack knowledge and understanding of brain injury.

Beyond the obvious physical effects of brain injury, survivors frequently have to deal with depression, anxiety, loss of self esteem, altered personality, and in some cases, a lack of self-awareness by the injury survivor of any existing deficits. Oftentimes, it is the parent or spouse of the victim that notices the changes, even when the victim does not.

Advances in medical treatment and emergency services are providing brain-injured patients with better diagnoses and treatment options. Identification of the effects of a head injury is an important step in helping the injured and their families. Rehabilitation programs include physical restoration, psychosocial and vocational programs designed to help the patient to live a functional life.

Your life today is probably very different than the one you had before brain injury. Looking back, you might be surprised to see that you have grown through this experience. As you look toward the future, know that you are not alone.

Organizations, agencies and services listed on the pages of this site can help you.

Your attorney should understand the mechanism of brain injury and the options available to treat and to prove the extent of the injury. We work with a network of doctors and rehabilitation facilities that understand and specialize in the assessment and treatment of brain injuries. Contact us or tell us about your brain injury case.