By Randy Appleton, Carolina Brain Injury Attorney

Most head-on collisions occur on two-lane highways with no divider in the middle. That’s the setting of a recent crash in North Carolina that landed  six in the hospital. To learn more, visit our blog to read “Six Injured in Head-On Collision.”

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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, Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer

My colleague Randy Appleton has written about an accident that took place on VA 610 in North Stafford, Virginia, in which four people suffered injuries and the at-fault driver was charged with reckless driving. To learn more about this left-turn crash involving an SUV and a car, check out “North Stafford, VA Leaves Four Injured.”

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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) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). 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, North Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer

My colleague Emily Mapp Brannon has written about a wrong-way car accident that occurred on Greensboro Road in High Point, NC. A passenger in the at-fault driver’s car died, and a passenger in the other pickup that was hit head on suffered serious injuries. The wrong-way driver was charged with failing to comply with driver’s license restrictions. To learn more, click over to “Wrong-Way Car Crash in High Point, NC Leaves One Injured, One Dead.”

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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) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). 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, Car Accident Victim’s Attorney

Accidents can happen virtually anytime, anywhere. Drivers learned that last week in Hagerstown, Maryland (MD), after being involved in a three-car collision. Visit our personal injury lawyers’ website to read “Three-Car Collision Lands Two in Hospital” and learn more.

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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, Carolina Car Crash Injury Attorney

With summer comes afternoon thunderstorms often making for a wet drive home, drivers must be alert to how standing and flowing water on roads can create dangerous conditions. A reminder of this occurred in Shelby, North Carolina (NC), on July 25, 2011, when five people suffered injuries after a car hydroplaned and collided head on with a pickup truck. Visit our blogs to read “Wet Road Causes NC Accident in Which Five Were Injured.”

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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.

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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, Brain and Head Injury Attorney

Wearing a helmet on a motorcycle can reduce the dangers of spinal injury as well as traumatic brain injury, according to a new story.

The study from John Hopkins University looked at more than 40,500 accidents. See the full story here.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law, and we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office  in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Furthermore, we proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard 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 who 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, Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Virginia

How much will a  lifetime of extra doctor visits, nursing help, therapy and medical equipment  cost after a life-changing injury? Important question without an easy answer. These costs are often staggering  when someone suffers a debilitating injury like paralysis or traumatic brain injury? The answer typically requires a hired expert to study your needs after the accident and do the calculations.
 
Some insurance companies and the best personal injury lawyers in big cases use “life care plans.” These plans are a tool that can assist in estimating the scope and cost of future care needs, as well as outlining prevention steps that address the effects of aging on a disability.
 
The International Academy of Life Care Planners states the objective of their profession is to:
 
1. Assist the injured victim in achieving optimal outcomes by developing an appropriate plan of prevention of complications and restoration. This may include recommendations for evaluations or treatment that may contribute to the client’s level of wellness or provide information regarding treatment requirements.
 
2. Develop accurate and timely cost information, measurement tools to analyze outcomes, and specificity of service allocations that can be easily utilized by the client and interested parties.
 
For example, let’s say a loved one was driving down Interstate 264 (I-264) in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) and is involved in a serious car wreck with a drunk driver. As a result, they suffer extensive brain damage and will need round-the-clock care for the rest of their life. How do you quantify the damages? How much should your loved one receive from, let’s say, a personal injury claim?

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injuries. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous head injury and brain trauma cases, and achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain damaged client in 2000.  Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.  While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against the at-fault person or company who caused your injury, call our office at 1-800-752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail and we will promptly return your call.

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By Emily Mapp Brannon, Brain Injury Lawyer in Virginia

When an airplane crashes, the result is routinely loss of life or serious, debilitating injuries. The plane accident in San Andres, Colombia was no different. An 11-year-old girl suffered a traumatic brain injury and a 72-year-old woman was killed, according to the Associated Press.

Authorities do not know the exact cause of the plane wreck, but it did occur in the midst of a thunderstorm. There is some speculation that a shift in wind may have attributed to the accident.  

This crash highlights just how dangerous it is to navigate a plane in bad weather, especially a serious storm. Not only are winds a concern, but you also have to combat with rain and lightning.

Large portions of the plane broke apart during the crash and it is a miracle that only a limited number of people were seriously injured or killed. There were 131 passengers on board the airplane and 51 were taken to the hospital. Of course, that does not lessen the pain the 11-year-old girl and her family is going through at this moment. Her life may be changed forever due to the brain injury.

Investigators should be able to determine what exactly caused the plane wreck within three to four months. It is important to find out what happened because if the crash was not directly caused by the storm, but rather a mechanical error or negligence, the families of the 11-year-old girl and 72-year-old woman deserve to know.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injuries. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous head injury and brain trauma cases, and achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain damaged client in 2000.  Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.  While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against the at-fault person or company who caused your injury, call our office at 1-800-752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail and we will promptly return your call.

By Randy Appleton, Brain Injury Lawyer in Virginia

Over 5 million people are currently living with disabilities associated with a traumatic brain injury and over 1 million people will suffer an injury resulting in brain damage this year. In fact, more people suffer brain injuries than suffer heart attacks in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How do so many people wind up suffering these terrible, life-altering injuries? Well, over 40 percent of victims suffer traumatic brain injuries in car accidents. This is the single largest contributor of new brain injury victims, according to MSNBC.com. Some experts chalk this up to the fact that advancements in car safety like seat belts and airbags help keep people alive who would otherwise die in a car wreck, but still wind up suffering a very serious injury.

You may be asking, “Is there any way for me to prevent suffering a traumatic brain injury?” The answer depends on the circumstances. For example, you can help cut down your risk of suffering brain damage from a bicycle accident if you wear a helmet, but there is nothing out there which will make you completely safe from a brain or head injury. The best thing you do is if you suffer a serious head injury see a doctor right away. The earlier you get examined and treated, the better.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injuries. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous head injury and brain trauma cases, and achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain damaged client in 2000.  Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.  While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against the at-fault person or company who caused your injury, call our office at 1-800-752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail and we will promptly return your call.