An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton has written about the serious risks associated with distracted driving, focusing specifically on a woman walking to class who was hit and seriously injured by a driver she suspects was distracted at the time. The pedestrian crash victim is now an advocate for banning cell phone use while driving. To learn more, read “Chapel Hill, NC Crash Victim Calls Distracted Driving a ‘Prescription for Tragedy’.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

A man who became permanently disabled after falling backwards off a Segway during a company-sponsored demonstration of the two-wheeled motorized scooter and sustaining a traumatic brain injury has won a $10 million jury award in Connecticut (CT). Evidence presented at trial showed that Segway representatives allowed the man to ride the vehicle through an obstacle course while blindfolded and without wearing a helmet. According to the brain injured man’s attorneys, Robert B. Adelman and Neil Sutton, the company reps brought no helmets to the demonstration at all.

As this clip from The Ellen DeGeneres Show indicates, crashing and falling from a Segway is surprisingly easy:

The talk show host suffered no injuries, but the man in this case sustained a TBI and brain damage that forced him to drop out of college just one year shy of earning his bachelor’s degree. During the trial, the brain damaged man’s lawyers emphasized the neglect and recklessness Segway reps showed in not providing helmets and the loss of future earnings and quality of life for their client, who now works as a low-paid handyman.

As a Virginia (VA) personal injury attorney whose firm often represents traumatic brain injury victims, I have seen firsthand how a closed head injury can adversely affect a person for a lifetime. I also know that no person on a motorized scooter should ever ride without a helmet, let alone be allowed by a responsible party like a Segway representative to operate the vehicle while not having his or her head protected. No one should ever suffer a TBI due to another person’s negligence.

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

When it comes to products our children use, we want to make sure they’re safe and effective. Ikea is recalling high chairs after reports that a faulty buckle can lead to babies falling out of the chair and suffering injuries. To learn more, visit “IKEA Recalls Baby High Chairs Over Fall Risks.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

Family road trips around the holidays are pretty common, so it’s terrifying to imagine a drunk driver crossing your path. Unfortunately, a North Carolina (NC) family lived that nightmare and ended up in the hospital when a man now facing DWI and hit-and-run charges hit their SUV. To learn more, visit “Drunk Driver Causes Guilford County, NC Accident, Sends Nine to Hospital.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm has published an article discussing how important it is for traumatic brain injury victims to hire a law firm whose lawyers have experience handling serious brain injury cases. To learn more, take a look at “Brain Injury Specialists in Virginia Beach Understand How to Handle TBI Claims.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

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A recent quote from a news report about a head-on collision in Virginia Beach, VA, caught my attention. A driver had to be flown to the hospital by helicopter after a serious car crash on Indian River Road and Orchard Spring Way. In the report, police were mentioned as saying that the injured person “is expected to be okay.”

As a Virginia (VA) personal injury attorney, I can tell you that anyone involved in a head-on in a car accident and having to be airlifted to the hospital probably won’t be “okay” for a long time, if ever.

The statement would have been a lot more accurate if the police spokesperson had said the victim is expected to live. I’m certainly glad the person survived the accident, but he and his family have a long road to recovery.

Even the best VA personal injury attorney will tell you that the effects a serious car accident injury do not end at the scene of the wreck or the emergency room. Even after an injured victim is released from the hospital, he or she usually faces months, sometimes years, of physical, emotional, and financial challenges.

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

It’s not true that humans only use 10 percent of their brains; each part of the brain has a purpose. When any part of a person’s brain is damaged, long-lasting problems can result. The choice many injured people have to make is between taking a lump sum or a structured settlement. An experienced Virginia (VA) personal injury attorney reviews both choices.

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

A new study has revealed the dangers associated with heading balls on the soccer field. Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found that repeatedly hitting a soccer ball with one’s head increases the risk for brain injury and cognitive impairment.

The researchers studied 38 amateur soccer players who had played the sport since they were children. They were asked how many times they headed the ball in the past year. Then, the researchers ranked the players based on heading frequency and compared their brains images. What did they find? That frequent headers showed brain injury akin to that of patients with concussions.

Because soccer is such a popular sport, parents across the country need to consider this study before allowing their children to play. Some 18 million Americans play soccer, and 78 percent of them are children. This news could potential affect millions of young athletes across the country.

Brain injuries cannot be taken lightly. The researchers said many of the effects of heading injuries aren’t noticed by parents, or even doctors. Because the effects can be so long term, they are often misdiagnosed. “The impairment will not be immediate and can easily be attributed to other causes like ADHD or learning disabilities,” said Dr. Michael Lipton, associate director of Einsteins Gruss Magnetic Resonance Reseach Center.

The purpose of this article is not to create panic, or have parents pull their children out of youth soccer league, but parents should be informed about all of the risks associated with the sport. Heading the ball is an essential part of the game, and is unlikely to be eliminated despite safety concerns. The study shows even heading the ball once and a while  may cause long-term damage, especially at the higher levels where the ball is traveling up to speeds of 34 mph.

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

As parents, we hope to put our children on the school bus safely and soundly. Unfortunately, bus crashes do happen. Nine children were taken to hospitals after a Chesapeake, Virginia (VA), public school bus crashed into a ditch. To learn more, visit “Nine Students Injured in Chesapeake, VA Bus Crash.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

In his latest post to our firm’s Carolina personal injury attorneys’ website, my colleague Randy Appleton reports on a fatal moped accident in Piedmont, South Carolina (SC). Police determined that neither the driver of the motorbike nor the passenger who lost her life were wearing helmets. Randy notes that “no piece of safety equipment is more important than a helmet for a biker.” To read more, click over to “South Carolina Moped Crash Takes Teen’s Life.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.