Brain Injury Lawsuit Questions

Suffering a brain injury is not uncommon. The severity of the brain injury could be as minor as a temporary small bump on the head to permanent injury affecting you physically, psychologically, and/or cognitively. An experienced Long Beach personal injury attorney can assist you to maneuver through the complexities of your brain injury related case. Our exceptional Long Beach personal injury attorneys are frequently asked questions regarding brain injury lawsuits, some of which are listed below.

A brain injury is when something causes damage to the brain resulting in temporary or permanent functional problems in the brain. There are various causes for brain injury, and symptoms may not be immediately apparent.

Generally, there are two categories of brain injuries:

1. Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) – usually caused by oxygen deprivation.
2. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – usually caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or if an object penetrates the skull and enters the brain tissue.

There are many types of brain injuries falling within the two categories. A Long Beach personal injury attorney understands that these injuries may result in serious symptoms, significant medical expenses, and sometimes permanent consequences, such as:

ABI

• Anoxia: no oxygen supplied to the brain (anoxic); blood not carrying enough oxygen (anemic); or, toxins or metabolites that block oxygen in the blood from being utilized (toxic).
• Hypoxic: brain receives insufficient oxygen.

TBI

• Concussion: sudden direct blow or bump to the head resulting in loss of awareness, alertness, and/or consciousness.
• Intracranial hematoma: blood clot in or around the brain that can cause minor to life-threatening symptoms.
• Diffuse axomal: injury from shaking movement from a motor vehicle accident, fall-related accident, or other causes, i.e. shaken baby syndrome.
• Coup-Contrecoup: impact that causes the brain to slam into the opposite side of the skull, creating contusions at the site of initial impact and where the brain slammed onto the opposite side.
• Penetration: impact of a bullet or a sharp object that forces hair, skin, bones and fragments from the object into the brain.

Mild brain injury may cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells resulting in a brief change of mental state or consciousness. Symptoms may include:

• Physical: short and temporary loss of consciousness, confusion or disorientation, headaches, nausea or vomiting, fatigue or drowsiness, difficulty sleeping, more sleep than usual, and/or dizziness or loss of balance.
• Sensory: blurred vision, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, changes in the ability to smell, and/or sensitivity to light or sound.
• Cognitive or Mental: memory or concentration problems, mood changes or swings, and/or depression or anxiety.

Moderate to severe brain injuries may include any of the mild brain injury symptoms as well as other symptoms within the first few hours to days after the head injury, such as:

• Physical: loss of consciousness for several minutes to hours, persistent headaches or worsening headaches, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, dilation of one or both pupils, clear fluids draining from the nose or ears, inability to awaken from sleep, weakness or numbness in fingers and toes, and/or loss of coordination.
• Cognitive or Mental: profound confusion, agitation, combativeness or other unusual behavior, slurred speech, coma, amnesia, or in severe cases, death.

Depending on the specific circumstances of your brain injury, you may bring a legal claim. Each Long Beach injury attorney with Russell & Lazarus APC is well-versed in the different types of claims you may bring in relation to your brain injury:

• Personal Injury: accidents caused by another’s negligence such as slip and falls, motor vehicle, aviation, boating, train, bicycle, construction, amusement park, offshore, and other such accidents. Personal injury claims may be made in conjunction with premise liability claims.
• Product Liability: defective products
• Medical Malpractice: disease, toxin, and birth/labor induced brain injury when the medical provider performed below the reasonable standard of care.

You may be eligible for substantial compensation depending on the seriousness and extent to which your brain injury negatively affected your life, such as:

• past, present, and future medical expenses
• past, present, and future loss of income
• future earning potential
• loss of consortium

Depending on the type of claim, you have a strict deadline to file suit (1 to 3 years). Thus, it is imperative to seek assistance immediately to ensure that you do not lose your claim forever. Consult a Long Beach personal injury attorney with Russell & Lazarus APC at (949) 565-2088 today!