By Emily Mapp Brannon, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

A study reported online in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that people who suffer traumatic brain injuries are at high risk for having a stroke within 90 days of the head trauma. “Although previous research has shown that traumatic brain injury can be associated with the future development of epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and psychiatric conditions, this the first study to link it to the future risk of stroke,” WebMD Health News states.

The findings were based on health records for 23,199 Taiwanese patients who had been treated for TBIs between 2001 and 2003. Compared with 69,597 people without a history of TBI, the brain-injured patients had a 10 time greater likelihood of suffering a stroke during the first three months of treatment.

As an experienced TBI attorneys based in Virginia Beach, VA, I find these results alarming but not surprising. Recently, my colleague John Cooper reported on a study of Vietnam-era U.S. military veterans that showed a brain injury raised risks for dementia.

Far too often victims of traumatic brain injuries in Virginia and elsewhere end up with further complications and few resources to help them out. For instance, when victims of brain injuries survive car accidents, it can be only the beginning of a nightmare with few residential treatment centers taking insurance or insurance failing to pay for brain rehab. Treatment only routinely gets offered to TBI patients who have money, workers’ compensation coverage or a lawsuit settlement.

In some cases there is help available to the victims. Another driver may be responsible for the injury or it could have been caused by the negligence of a sports coach or the inadequacy of a facility. In such cases a victim, or their family, can launch a lawsuit.

A brain injury from an accident is one of the most serious and life-changing injuries a person can suffer. If you or a loved one sustained head injuries in a car or motorcycle accident, check out our Frequently Asked Questions devoted to the subject.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Kevin Duffan, Attorney for Virginia Injury Victims

My colleague Richard Shapiro reported recently on our firm’s Virginia personal injury lawyers’ website that several children suffered injuries when the passenger van they had taken for a field trip was struck by a panel truck in Richmond, Virginia )VA).  Rick notes that while no one was killed in the wreck, parents of the seven boys and girls who got hurt could potentially file personal lawsuits with the assistance of Virginia truck accident lawyers against the at-fault driver and the company that employed him.

LC

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

LC

By Randy Appleton, Carolina Brain Injury Attorney

Researchers at North Carolina universities say they have developed smart football helmets that can measure the force of a blow to help protect players from traumatic brain injury.

Teams at at the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences and at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center say the helmets will provide more protection to football players, according to the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

“The research is focused on future helmet design and rules to limit head trauma exposure and assist trainers, coaches, doctors and players for evaluation of a possible injury and to identify or rule out possible concussions,” the newspaper reported.

According to Daryl Rosenbaum, the lead researcher at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, these helmets will help identify players who have taken a major hit allow on-the-spot real-time evaluation for signs of a concussion, instead of  waiting for the player to notice something is wrong.

“We have submitted a proposal to Toyota to fund the use of helmet sensor technology in local high schools in order to study the effects of football-related head trauma. We just had the system installed at Wake Forest University and used the helmets during spring training,” Rosenbaum said.

Our experienced Virginia (VA) traumatic brain injury attorneys have reported on a number of moves in the sports world to tighten up the rules on concussions in an attempt to prevent long lasting brain injuries. Earlier this year we noted how major league baseball has issued a policy related to concussions and created a seven-day disabled list for mild traumatic head injuries. The policy dictates how concussions, which are sometimes called closed head injuries, are diagnosed initially and will be used to determine when players and umpires can return to the field following a concussion.

My colleague John Cooper reported on how high school baseball players in Virginia cities such as Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, VA, will have to use bats engineered more like traditional ones, with a ban on some types of metal bats coming into effect.

In January 2011, we noted the lack of public information on helmets in sports to help athletes and their parents to make an informed choice. We reported how Virginia Tech engineering professor and safety advocate Stefan Duma is constructing an online database that will show and compare the effectiveness of different brands of helmets.

We welcome any moves to safeguard athletes, given the serious dangers of long term brain damage we now know can be associated with head injuries out in the field.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Kevin Duffan, Virginia Head Injury Attorney

In her latest post to our firm’s VA personal injury lawyers’ website, my colleague Emily Brannon reports on the disappearing spare tire.  These days, a car may have a smaller temporary spare or no spare at all because of fuel economy mandates and safety concerns.

LC

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Kevin Duffan, Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer

In his latest post to our VA personal injury attorneys’ website, my colleague John Cooper reports that Operation Dry Water, a nationwide anti-drunken boating effort aimed at reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents among boaters, was a success during the 2011 July 4th weekend.  John notes that a boating accident can result in serious injuries or death. If a boating accident is the fault of anyone, an individual may need the assistance of VA personal injury lawyers to file a case against the responsible parties to recover any losses.

LC

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Emily Mapp Brannon,  Brain and Head Injury Attorney

My colleague John Cooper shares tips for protecting young cyclists on our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website. During the summer more children are learning to ride bicycles, but taking safety precautions such as wearing a properly fitted helmet that conforms to safety standards and staying off roads with high posted speed limits are vital.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Virginia Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

A new study of American troops who have suffered brain injuries from bomb blasts may help doctors understand more about traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs.

The study showed about a third of American troops who have suffered brain injury from bomb blasts “show immediate evidence of stretched and damaged nerve fibers at both the front and the back of the brain,” the Washington Post reported.

The study included MRI scans on 63 members of the armed services. They were all men with an average age of 24. They had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. Some of them suffered a loss of consciousness and post-blast confusion, as well as lacking memory of the event that caused their injury.

It’s unclear if these findings in the New England Journal of Medicine will help identify people at higher risk of depression, thinking problems and post-traumatic stress in the wake of a blast injury. Experts hope the study will shed some light on the complex world of TBIs.

“This is not a pregnancy test for TBI,” said Alicia Crowder, a neuroscientist at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, who wasn’t involved in the research, told the Washington Post. “This is a foundation block on which to build a body of knowledge. It is a piece of a puzzle.”

The wide range of symptoms of traumatic brain injury mean estimates of how many troops have been affected in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, vary widely. The researchers are still looking at what these results mean to those affected in the long term.

While the Defense Department estimates fewer than 50,000 troops have received TBI diagnoses either in the war zone or within a month of leaving it, a group of civilian researchers, say there may be as many as 320,000 sufferers.

Our Virginia (VA) traumatic brain injury attorneys have reported on a number of cases of soldiers who have struggled to cope with their injuries after returning from war zone. They include Harris Turner, 26, a  former Marine Corps corporal sustained several minor but lasting brain-rattling jolts from three tours overseas that led to brain injury. When he suffered a car crash in 2009, it exacerbated his combat injuries. He is undergoing rehab at the Alexandria VA Medical Center in Alexandria, Virginia.

Brain injuries are often misdiagnosed and are among the most misunderstood kinds of personal injuries. It can be difficult for a jury to sympathize with a victim because traumatic brain injuries can be invisible and non apparent.

But brain injuries can wreck lives. in 2001, our Virginia head injury attorneys represented a client who received a $365,000 jury verdict after a valve on a locomotive hit him on the head. While the effects of the injury weren’t obvious, this engineer suffered memory loss and a loss of cognitive function.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By John Cooper, VA Brain and Head Injury Attorney

A TBI is a traumatically induced structural injury or disruption of brain function caused by an external force, and usually results from car crashes, drowning, and slip and falls. Funded by $6 million in grants from the Department of Defense, University of Virginia researchers are creating a hand-held ultrasound machine that can be taken to the battlefield to early diagnose soldiers with TBI, according to Apria Healthcare.

Since 2000, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center in Washington, 202,281 service members have been diagnosed as having some form of TBI.  The University of Virginia technology would let a combat medic pull someone off the field to check them for traumatic brain injury.

This TBI research project involves developing probes to look at the brain at a cellular level and determine at a cellular level whether someone has TBI. Currently, the standard methods for detecting TBI are through magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scans.

The UVA research could determine brain tissue stiffness links to brain injuries and whether ultrasound technology can be used to detect tissue stiffness. The researchers are studying medical scans of soldiers who come into contact with high-impact blasts.

Treatment of TBI is on a case-by-case basis. The UVA research should hopefully prompt brain injury professionals to study ways to treat TBI for those who suffer brain damage from car wrecks, slip and falls and other accidents. If you or a loved one suffer TBI resulting from an accident, you may need the assistance of Virginia personal injury lawyers to recover justice against the responsible parties.

To learn more about brain damage and head injuries, check out our FAQ on the subject.

LC

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Kevin Duffan, VA Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Plenty of evidence shows that helmets protect motorcyclists, athletes and people riding bicycles.

But a tragic accident in Hawaii (HI) has highlighted how head protection should be worn in other high-risk activities. Kameron Steinhoff, 21, died of head injuries following a skateboard accident this week, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Friends said the student was not wearing a helmet while skating on a street. The Medical Examiner’s Office said alcohol and drugs were not factors in this tragic accident.

The accident bears similarities to the death of a 16-year-old skateboarder in Loudon, VA, earlier this month. That skater was also killed after hitting his head while not wearing a helmet.

“I highly recommend all athletes to wear protective gear and to limit your actions to your ability,” Stephen Jefferson, the executive director of a Virginia skateboard project told the Loudon Times.

Last year our experienced VA personal injury attorneys reported on a highly preventable skateboarding accident in which a 14-year-old teenager fell off his skateboard and sustained head injuries on a pavement while he was being pulled by a car driven by a 17-year-old.

Traumatic brain injury and head wound victims often suffer side effects such as blurred vision, memory loss, and cognitive functions. They may end up needing 24-hour care. There have been numerous safety campaigns to highlight the importance of wearing helmets on skateboards, including a 500 mile trip on a skateboard made across North Carolina (NC) by Marion Karr, who suffered a brain injury on a bicycle, 30 years ago.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission notes skateboarders sustain about 18,700 head injuries a year. The figures are for 2004. Of these about 760 victims were hospitalized with more serious head injuries.

I grew up as a young kid riding skateboards, and we didn’t wear helmets back then.  Now, I realize that helmets really can and do save lives, and I will make sure my children wear protective gear when they are riding bikes, scooters, and skateboards.  Also, as experienced brain and head injury lawyers based in Virginia  the attorneys at our firm consistently emphasize the need for helmets to be worn and also for Helmet manufacturers to be mindful of whether their equipment is up to the job.

These manufacturers are under consistent scrutiny to improve their helmets to safeguard young people. But, notwithstanding any potential issues over helmets, the most dangerous course of action is not to wear one at all.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Randy Appleton, Virginia Brain Injury Attorney

The issue of traumatic brain injuries sustained by professional athletes will be tackled on May 22 at a panel discussion in Virginia (VA). Paul Flatley, who is a former receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, will be part of the discussion on brain injuries in Richmond, Virginia (VA), pal-item.com reported. Flatley has said the tragedy of Dave Duerson, will be highlighted at the event.

Our experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) attorneys noted recently how years of concussions sustained during a long football career may have contributed to a traumatic brain injury that led Dave Duerson to take his own life in February 2011.

After retiring the player remained active on panels that explored how knocks sustained to the head during games left former players struggling with problems such as dementia and Alzheimer disease.

New research has concentrated on a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or “punch-drunk syndrome.” The dementia-like symptoms were recently highlighted in the Washington Post.

Increased concerns about concussions have led states to pass new laws to protect athletes at schools. Our Virginia (VA) personal injury attorneys recently reported on how new laws were enacted in Massachusetts (MA).

We recently highlighted how, also in Massachusetts (MA), schools are developing a test to recognize concussions in athletes.

As new data on concussions emerged across Virginia (VA), the General Assembly has also passed a new concussion law, requiring medical clearance for students to return to play. Under this law, a student-athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion “shall be removed from play.”

A student-athlete who has been removed from play is not allowed to return to play that same day until he or she has been evaluated by an appropriate licensed health care provider.

If you hit your head in an accident, sports impact, fall or physical assault, you may suffer concussion-like symptoms known as post concussion syndrome, for weeks or months afterward, while traumatic brain injuries can cause memory loss.

Mild traumatic brain injuries are less obvious that traumatic brain injuries, but a mild traumatic brain injury can cause permanent damage. There is a presently a growing body of evidence that these concussion-type injuries, if untreated, can lead to Parkinson-type diseases and dementia.

The heightened awareness of the dangers of brain injuries in sports has resulted in a raft of lawsuits in which victims have claimed institutions have failed to provide adequate care.

Recently we reported on a $2.5 million lawsuit against Virginia Tech’s basketball camp claiming inadequate facilities and a lack of supervision contributed to a teen’s head injury.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our 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. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.