By Kevin Duffan, Bus Crash Injury Victims’ Attorney

A House subcommittee meeting has put school bus safety in the spotlight once again. Testifying at the meeting was National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s head administrator David Strickland. He recommended additional safety features, including seat belts, should not be considered for school buses, as they are already the safest mode of transportation for children.

Strickland cited a “handful of deaths” each year involving school buses, but he argued that many of these accidents occur just outside the bus.  Only a couple of students are killed inside a school bus each year, compared to the thousands of children who are injured and killed in car accidents in regular vehicles.

Though seat belts would only further cement the idea that school buses are safe vehicles, Strickland acknowledged their expensive costs to school districts. “Adding the belts on the buses may actually decrease the number of buses available for children to ride, which would actually increase the number of fatalities of children who would be forced to take passenger cars,” he said. Local governments should decide on their own whether the upgraded safety measures would justify the cost, Strickland recommended.

It’s difficult for me as a Virginia (VA) school bus accident attorney to hear NHTSA speak out against seat belts. While it is great to hear that school bus crash fatalities are low, it’s frustrating to know that a few more lives might have been saved had school districts shelled out the money for seat belts. When it comes to protecting our children, no price is too high.

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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.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Personal Injury Attorney

We all know that motorcycles can be incredibly dangerous, but if their riders lose sight of the road for even a moment, motorcycles can be deadly. A Boone, NC man was airlifted to the hospital after he crossed the center line and hit a car head-on. To learn more, visit our blog. Head On Motorcycle Crash Injures One

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.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Virginia Child Injury Attorney

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.

By Jim Lewis, Carolina Brain Injury Lawyer

My Carolina personal injury law firm colleague Kevin Duffan has posted a blog about brain injury warnings involving concussions and how head injuries may cause mental illness or death.

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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 Richard Shapiro, Norfolk, VA Personal Injury Attorney

Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA, have been the sites of multiple balcony fall injuries and deaths during the summer of 2011. The latest accident occurred at a Ramada off Military Highway in Norfolk. The injured boy remains in critical condition. Falling from outdoor decks and balconies almost always results in serious injury or death, so this spike in balcony accidents in Hampton Roads, Virginia, is truly chilling. Visit our main law firm website to learn more about the disturbing trend at Hampton Roads hotels.

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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 Rick Shapiro, Virginia Tramatic Brain Injury Lawyer

The death of a 17-year-old college-bound student from Virginia (VA) two days after he suffered a concussion has renewed concerns about the links between traumatic brain injuries and suicide.

Austin Trenum of Nokesville, VA, had planned to enroll in James Madison University. Those plans became irrelevant, though, when he sustained a concussion in his final high school football game and, two days later, hanged himself. The Associated Press reported that Trenum’s parents are convinced a concussion that wasn’t taken seriously enough led to their son’s death and are donating his brain for research.

The death raises new questions about concussion awareness in sport, an issue our experienced Virginia TBI lawyers have written about in-depth. It is also the latest in a spate of suicides that have followed concussions in sport. Last year an autopsy on 21-year-old Owen Thomas, a captain of the University of Pennsylvania football team who committed suicide, revealed brain damage.

“We know that a concussion can be followed with depression,” Dr. Robert Cantu, clinical professor of neurosurgery and co-director of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy told  the AP. “And depression can be serious enough that hospitalization is required in a small number of cases.”

BU researchers found that the college football player, Thomas, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is also called dementia pugilistica because it’s associated with career boxers who have suffered repeated blows to the head. Earlier this year we reported on how CTE was diagnosed  in NFL football star Dave Duerson, who also took his life.

As awareness increases into the potentially fatal effects of concussions, schools and health care providers have to recognize the warning signs. In the case of Austin Trenum, staff at a hospital told his parents to “make sure their son had 24 hours of restful activity,” AP reported.

His parents later learned he should have had no stimulation at all. Failure to take these concussion related injuries seriously could leave hospitals and schools open to lawsuits. Earlier this year I reported on a $2.5 million lawsuit brought by a camper at a Virginia Tech basketball camp in Blacksburg, VA, who claimed inadequate facilities and supervision contributed to a severe head injury.

High schools and youth sports leagues in North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), and Virginia recently brought in new rules intended to prevent head-to-head contact, returning too early from concussions, and limiting injuries from balls, bats and other equipment.

Other agencies, such as police departments, need to be aware of the dangers of head injuries. Recently we reported on how a lawsuit seeking $35 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages has been filed by the wife of a former Norfolk, VA, police recruit who died in training. The lawsuit alleges his death was the result of “repeated, violent blows to the head” by instructors that produced bleeding in the brain.

Our Virginia head and brain injury lawyers have handled many TBI cases including a 2001 case in which we secured $365,000 for a CSX locomotive engineer who suffered mild traumatic brain injury after he was hit on the head by a valve in an explosion.

Our firm obtained the largest personal injury verdict in Virginia history as of 2000 – $46 million – in the case of a gas station attendant who suffered a brain injury and other injuries when he was pinned inside a partly demolished gas station when a Norfolk Southern train derailed due to an incorrect switch position.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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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, 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.

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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.