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 Randy Appleton, VA Brain Injury Attorney

Common brain injuries such as concussions may raise victims’ risk for developing dementia later in life. My colleague John Cooper recently posted an article about a study on how brain injuries can result in dementia. Check out “Study: Dementia Risk Raised by History of Brain Injuries.”

MC

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.

By Rick Shapiro, Brain Injury Attorney

Baseball is taking extra precautions to protect players against brain and head injuries with a new series of protocols adopted by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

The new joint policy related to concussions, includes the creation of a seven-day disabled list, MLB.com reports. A committee of experts created the policy. It 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. The new policy goes into effect on Opening Day.

If you hit your head in a fall, accident or in a 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. However, a mild traumatic brain injury can cause permanent damage. There is a increasing body of evidence that these concussion-type injuries, if untreated, can lead to other complications such as Parkinson-type diseases and dementia.

Increasingly, schools and sports authorities are taking action to learn more about the symptoms of concussion. Steps have been taken in Virginia (VA) in recent months to improve the safety of baseball, including a ban on high performance aluminum bats.

A batted baseball regularly travels at speeds of almost 100 mph. Balls coming off BESR-rated — ball exit speed ratio– bats easily reach speeds of 105 mph or greater. And the death of Double A first base coach Mike Coolbaugh during a Tulsa Drillers game in 2007 demonstrated how dangerous baseball can be. Increased the speed at which the ball enters play, and players and coaches in the field can have almost no chance to protect themselves from serious injuries to their heads, eyes, arms, legs or bodies.

Our firm has handled a larger number of cases involving baseball. In one case, which we recently concluded, the manufacturer and the seller of a baseball pitching machine had improperly designed their product in such a way as to cause a facial injury to the athlete using the equipment. This kind of product liability case requires a showing that the people who made and distributed the machinery had either designed it improperly or produced a product defectively in a way that would cause injury to someone when used normally. A permanent injury to a person’s eye occurred in this instance.

DM

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.