TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

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Springfield Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer & TBI Attorney  

We proudly serve TBI victims in Springfield, Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Chicopee, and throughout Massachusetts!

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be devastating.  In an instant, an individual’s life can be transformed permanently, depriving them of the ability to work and to enjoy their family and other activities.  In severe cases, a person with a TBI may need lifelong care.

Our firm is dedicated to seeking full compensation for those injured by others.  We invite you to call us to learn about your options for seeking compensation from those responsible.  We represent clients on a contingency fee basis – this means that we are only entitled to a fee if we are successful in obtaining compensation.  We also advance all costs of litigation (which are normally paid back out of a jury award or settlement), so you won’t need to pay these expenses while your case is ongoing.

We Invite You to Call Us Today at (413) 781-0000 For a Free Consult and to Learn About Your Options!

What Are the Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can result in mild, moderate, or severe changes to thinking, speech, senses, physical function, and/or social behavior.  The effects of a TBI can be permanent for some individuals, while others may recover and resume activities they previously enjoyed.

The following are a few of the changes that can be experienced after a debilitating brain injury:

  • Cognitive Changes:
    • Memory problems
    • Difficulty solving problems
    • Impaired judgment
    • Shortened attention span
    • Loss of reading or writing skills
    • Communication problems
    • Loss of vocabulary
    • Difficulty learning
  • Physical Changes:
    • Deficient muscle coordination
    • General weakness
    • Paralysis
    • Decreased sexual function
    • Changes in senses (including hearing, sight, touch, etc.)
    • Seizures
    • Sleep apnea
    • Speech impairment
  • Behavioral Changes:
    • Difficulty socializing
    • Inability to empathize
    • Increased self-centeredness
    • Lack of emotional control
    • Irritability
    • Aggressiveness
    • Mood swings
    • Severe Depression1

What Kinds of Treatment Are Available for a TBI?

Just as no two people are alike, no two head injuries are either.  Consequently, the treatment and recovery process for each person is different.  Recovery for a severe TBI can be lengthy, often ranging from months to years, and the treatment needed will depend on the severity of the injury.

  • Rest and OTC Medications.  Mild brain injuries usually require little or no treatment other than rest and other-the-counter pain relievers.  However, it is still imperative to monitor improvement closely and follow-up with a physician.
  • Emergency Care.  For moderate or severe injuries, having enough oxygen and blood supply, maintaining blood pressure, and preventing further head trauma is essential.  These injuries typically require emergency room or intensive care to minimize secondary damage due to inflammation, reduced oxygen, or brain bleeds.
  • Medications.  Medications can be used to prevent or reduce ancillary damage.  Diuretics, anti-seizure drugs, and coma-inducing medications are regularly used immediately after an injury.
  • Surgical Intervention.  Emergency surgery may be necessary to minimize additional trauma to brain tissues and prevent permanent damage.  Surgery can be used to remove clotted blood, repair skull fractures, stop bleeding, and open a window in the skull.
  • Rehabilitation.  Many severe TBI sufferers will require rehabilitation to relearn basic skills, such as walking or talking.  Therapy usually begins in the hospital and continues through outpatient services.2

Physical and Mental Changes

When individuals suffer head injuries in an accident – whether a construction accident, car crash, or another type of incident – it cannot be assumed that any physical or mental changes are minor or temporary.  As a result, it’s important that those who have suffered a significant head injury seek emergency medical attention right away, particularly if CT scans or other medical treatment is needed.

In some cases, symptoms like headaches, mood changes, and loss of memory are attributed to the stress of an accident, but the reality is that those symptoms may also point to severe, permanent brain damage.  As a result, even after immediate treatment, it’s critical that a TBI victim seek follow-up visits with a physician, especially if these types of symptoms exist.

Failure to Diagnose a TBI

If a physician fails to diagnose your TBI and you suffer further harm, you may also be entitled to collect compensation through a malpractice suit against the medical provider.  It is hard to misdiagnose an apparent brain injury when an accident victim has sustained severe head trauma.  In some cases, however, doctors will overlook the signs and symptoms of TBI and discharge patients without conducting a proper medical evaluation.

If you suspect that your physician provided negligent care and overlooked a TBI, we invite you to call us for a free consult.  We can then determine if you may have a failure to diagnose medical malpractice case against a physician or other medical providers.

Brain Injury Classification

Brain injuries are often classified according to which part was damaged in an accident, including:

  • Frontal Lobe
  • Temporal Lobe
  • Occipital Lobe
  • Parietal Lobe

Depending on the severity of the trauma and place of the injury, different symptoms could display.  For example, a frontal lobe injury could interfere with decision making, whereas an occipital lobe injury may cause hallucinations and loss of sight.

Proper diagnosis and care are critical to an accident victim’s health and to determining an accurate level of compensation in a TBI claim.  Symptoms like mood shifts, nausea, and memory loss after head trauma do not go away with time.  If left untreated, brain injuries could lead to convulsions, seizures, or confusion, affecting the ability to live life as before an accident.

Every TBI injury is different, as are the types of care needed to address the condition long term.  To determine the amount of compensation necessary to cover medical care, a fact-specific assessment of each case is necessary.

How We Help

Sometimes those with TBI injuries feel that their families or doctors do not understand their condition and discount their concerns. They may experience depression or psychological agitation that their physician brushes aside as emotional effects from the accident.

We know that head trauma and TBI injuries are serious.  You will best know whether you are having issues that did not exist before your head injury, and if you feel that you do have such injuries, then you should see an expert TBI or neurological physician as soon as possible.

In TBI cases we work with physicians to better understand the severity and complexity of head trauma cases, in particular, to learn about the cognitive, physical, and psychological ramifications of the injury, the future prognosis for the injury victim, and the impact on the victim’s work capacity and family and social interactions.  We also work when helpful with therapists and vocational experts so that they can assess matters such as work capacity. Once these diagnoses can be undertaken, we are able to determine what compensation is deserved.

Our law firm is led by experienced personal injury lawyers, Ryan E. Alekman and Robert A. DiTusa.  Together, they have nearly 50 years of combined law practice experience, and have extensive experience working with clients suffering from TBI and other long-term injuries, and in developing legal strategies for seeking full compensation for the damages and future treatment needed.

We invite you to get started today by contacting us to schedule a free consultation.

How Can We Help?

Please call us at 413.781.0000 or fill out this form.

  • The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.