Traumatic Brain Injury

Trust Jed Dietrich, Esq. and His Team of Lawyers and Paralegals at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. to Battle to Obtain the Best Result After a Traumatic Brain Injury in Western New York

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as “a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.”

Traumatic brain injuries can temporarily or permanently impair the brain’s normal functions. If left untreated, a traumatic brain injury could result in swelling, bleeding or bruising of the brain, which can have irreversible effects.

Seeking prompt medical treatment after any personal injury is important, especially if you suffered some sort of trauma to the head. Immediate medical treatment after an accident allows a doctor to examine your injuries and to prescribe a course of treatment that is personalized for you.

Traumatic brain injuries can require an individual to undergo extensive medical treatment, prevent an individual from performing or advancing in their work and result in a change of personality or loss of enjoyment of the everyday tasks and activities that he or she engaged in prior to the injury. In some tragic cases, a traumatic brain injury may even result in death.

If you, or a loved one, suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you want the best personal injury lawyer in Buffalo, New York to get you the compensation you deserve. Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his top-rated team of Buffalo, New York traumatic brain injury lawyers have settled $175,000,000.00 on behalf of their clients and will battle to obtain the best possible result for YOU!

Brain injuries often result from trauma to the head, particularly when the head strikes an object with some force, such as a windshield or the ground.

Common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:

1. Car Accidents;
2. Truck Accidents;
3. Construction Accidents;
4. Pedestrian Accidents;
5. Motorcycle Accidents;
6. Bicycle Accidents; and
7. Slip and Falls.

Unfortunately, some individuals who suffer traumatic brain injuries will die. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that car accidents and falls were among the leading causes of traumatic brain injury related deaths from 2006 to 2010. The chart below illustrates that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of TBI-related deaths of people aged 5 to 24, whereas falls are the leading cause of TBI-related deaths of people aged 65 and over:

If you, or a loved one, suffered a serious injury or died as a result of an accident, contact Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his team of traumatic brain injury lawyers in Buffalo, New York at 716-839-3939 for your free consultation.

Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can appear immediately after an accident or not until days or weeks later.

A concussion is the mildest form of brain injury and involves a short-term loss of normal brain function. Often, concussions result in head pain, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, nausea and ringing in the ears.

People suffering from more moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries might show signs and symptoms of a concussion and one or more of the following:

1. Continued or worsening headaches;
2. Convulsions or seizures;
3. Dilated pupils;
4. Excessive sleeping or inability to awaken from sleep;
5. Loss of consciousness;
6. Mood or behavioral changes;
7. Problems with memory or concentration;
8. Sensitivity to light and sound;
9. Slurred speech; or
10. Weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms and legs.

If you, or a loved one, experienced any of the above symptoms following an accident, it is important that you seek medical treatment. Prompt medical treatment can help to minimize the damage to your brain and to manage your symptoms before they get worse.

If you suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, contact Jed Dietrich, Esq. and the top-rated Buffalo, New York traumatic brain injury lawyers of the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. at 716-839-3939 for a free consultation. We can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will come to you and there is never a fee until we WIN for you.

Health care providers often use tests to assess a person’s physical condition, brain and nerve functioning and level of consciousness in order to diagnose a traumatic brain injury.

Some of the common testing that is used to diagnose a traumatic brain injury includes:

1. Diagnostic Imaging

   If a traumatic brain injury is suspected, a doctor may obtain an image of the individual’s brain, using a CT-scan, MRI or PET scan, so that they can better visualize and treat the injury.

   Computerized Tomography (CT-scan) uses X-rays to produce a cross-sectional, 360-degree image of the brain. A CT-scan may show bleeding, bruising or other damage to the brain.

   Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to form pictures of the brain. An MRI may produce a more detailed image of the brain than a CT-scan.

   A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan uses a radioactive substance, known as a tracker, to identify damage or diseases in the brain. A PET scan shows a doctor how the brain is functioning.

2. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

   The Glasgow Coma Scale measures an individual’s ability to move, speak and open their eyes.

   A doctor will rate an individual’s responses in each of the categories and calculate a total score. The total score is indicative of the severity of the traumatic brain injury.

   Generally, a score of 8 or less indicates a severe TBI, a score of 9 to 12 indicates a moderate TBI and a score of 13 or more indicates a mild TBI.

3. Physical Evaluation

   Often an individual with a suspected traumatic brain injury will undergo testing with one or more of the following to evaluate his or her cognitive, motor and communication skills:

   1. Neuropsychologist;
   2. Physical therapist;
   3. Occupational therapist; or
   4. Speech-language pathologist.

   After the identification and evaluation of the individual’s impairments, a specialist can recommend rehabilitation treatment to manage the effects and help a person get to as close to normal cognitive functioning as possible.

Though some TBIs may require more involved care than others, seeking prompt medical treatment and diagnosis can help to ensure that you are getting the care that you need. If you, or a loved one, suffered a traumatic brain injury or died as a result of an accident, contact Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his team of traumatic brain injury lawyers in Buffalo, New York at 716-839-3939 for your free consultation.

Depending on how the trauma to the head occurred, different parts of the brain may be affected. Some traumatic brain injuries subside quickly, requiring rest and limited treatment, whereas others are permanent, requiring much more intensive and long-lasting treatment.

The following are common types of traumatic brain injuries:

1. Intracranial Hematoma. A collection of blood in the brain tissue or empty spaces as a result of a ruptured blood vessel.
2. Skull Fracture. Disruption or fragmenting of the skull can lead to brain damage or infection.
3. Coup-Contrecoup Injury. A pattern of bruising on the brain tissue at both the site of impact and the opposite side of the head.
4. Diffuse Axonal Injury. Rapid shifting of the brain inside of the skull causes the axons, or connecting fibers of the brain, to twist and tear.
5. Penetrating TBI. A foreign object penetrates the skull and compromises the dura or the outer layer of the meninges, a membrane of the brain.
6. Closed TBI. Outside force is applied to the head, but the skull is not broken. Closed TBIs are classified as mild (concussion), moderate or severe.

If you, or a loved one, suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of an accident, contact Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his team of Buffalo, New York traumatic brain injury lawyers at 716-839-3939 for your free consultation.

The results of a traumatic brain injury can vary greatly, but in almost all circumstances an individual will have to learn how to cope with and manage the permanent physical or mental impairments that he or she suffered.

Consequences of a traumatic brain injury can be short or long-term and can affect:

1. Cognitive processes, such as memory, concentration or reasoning skills;
2. Sensory processing, such taste, smell, touch, hearing or sight;
3. Communication skills, such as speech, expression or understanding;
4. Mental health and behavior, such as anxiety, depression, changes in personality or acting out; and
5. Motor skills and coordination, such as balance, posture or grasping and holding objects.

Traumatic brain injuries can be a financial burden on an injured individual and their family. A traumatic brain injury may require extensive medical treatment to manage, which can quickly become costly. In addition, the effects of a traumatic brain injury and associated disabilities can prevent an individual from being able to work or from advancing in their career as they had anticipated. Furthermore, an individual may experience difficulty performing previously routine tasks and may no longer be able to participate in the activities that were a usual part of their life prior to the accident.

If you, or a loved one, suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his team of Buffalo, New York traumatic brain injury lawyers at 716-839-3939. We are top rated personal injury lawyers in Western New York and we will work to get you the best result possible for your traumatic brain injury.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!