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Brain Damage.

Brain damage defined simply refers to the destruction or deterioration of brain cells because of a brain injury.  Most brain injuries are localized brain damage.  Another way to say it is that the damage is confined to a small area.

As personal injury attorneys, the type of brain injury we deal with mostly is Traumatic Brain Injury.  A traumatic brain injury is caused by an external force – such as a blow to the head or head injuries caused by car accidents – that cause the brain to move inside the skull or damage the skull, which in turn, damages the brain.

Every year, about 1.4 million people have some type of brain injury in the United States.  Another 5.3 million people suffer from the effects of brain damage.  Permanent injury is just one of the possible outcomes of brain damage.  About 50,000 people die as a result of a brain injury inflicted on them.

The type of brain injury depends on how severe the brain damage is.  Brain injuries typically fall under one of three categories:

  • Mild brain injury – A person with a mild brain injury is dazed or confused.  If they lose consciousness at all it is brief, lasting no more than a few minutes.
  • Moderate brain injury – A moderate brain injury causes loss of consciousness that lasts from several minutes to several hours.  Confusion lasts weeks or months, and impairments last for months or are permanent.
  • Severe brain injury – Severe brain injuries cause loss of consciousness for days, weeks, or months.  This includes can include a coma, vegetative state, or locked-in syndrome.

From the smallest of headaches to the most debilitating coma, brain damage is one of the most dangerous injuries a person can suffer from.  As personal injury attorneys, we believe when the initial trauma happens a proper medical diagnosis must be obtained.  If you get injured from a car accident, you cannot say that a headache is just a headache.  You could be fine, today, but then die tomorrow.

Please contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced personal injury attorney — in either English or Spanish — at (800) 655-6585 or click here to submit your case for a Free Review.

Most Recent Blog Post

[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"]San Diego Car Accident - Kearny Mesa - Teen drivers in alleged speeding contest[/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

  • Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
  • Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
  • Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.
About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.