About Traumatic Brain Injury

There are two general classifications of traumatic brain injury:

• Closed head injury: The head injury may appear insignificant, possibly just a bump, blow, or sharp head jerk. But, even in these cases the brain may be jostled enough to cause bleeding or swelling.
• Open head injury: In an open head injury, the brain sustains penetrating trauma.

Epilepsy After a Traumatic Brain Injury

Epilepsy may develop after some traumatic brain injuries. Post-traumatic epilepsy is most likely to occur following an open head injury, but occasionally it can follow a closed head injury. People whose seizures develop some time after the injury have a greater likelihood of developing epilepsy.

Epileptic partial seizures may show up months or years after the head injury. A simple partial seizure is when a small part of the brain experiences a localized, abnormal electrical discharge. Symptoms of a simple partial seizure include smelling a foul odor, seeing flashing lights, feeling tingly, and/or hearing voices.

A complex partial seizure, also called a temporal lobe seizure, will present with a change in level of consciousness, without loss of consciousness. The individual may become disoriented, hear things, behave strangely, grate teeth, fidget, and/or become restless. This can be followed by extreme confusion and limited recall of the episode.

A grand mal seizure, also known as a tonic-clonic seizure, features a loss of consciousness and muscular twitching and jerking. It is the result of abnormal electrical activity throughout the brain. This type of seizure following a head trauma is usually a one-time event rather than a chronic problem.

Statistics on Epilepsy Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Following are some disturbing statistics on the development of epilepsy following a traumatic brain injury diagnosis.

• Someone who has suffered a head trauma is twelve times more likely to suffer seizures than the general population.
• Approximately 60% of individuals who sustained head injury developed epilepsy within the first twelve months following the injury.
• 30% of all individuals suffering head trauma developed post-traumatic seizures. More than 75% of the time the seizures occur within the first 24-months.

Minnesota Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer & Attorney

Brain cells do not regenerate. However, in some cases, other areas of the brain compensate for the injured tissue, rerouting information and function around the damaged areas. Recovery from a traumatic brain injury can be a prolonged or life-long process of treatment and rehabilitation.

It is imperative to retain a traumatic brain injury lawyer with extensive experience in order to receive the necessary compensation to cover current and future medical expenses, as well as lost income and other damages.

TSR Injury Law has handled hundreds of traumatic brain injury cases. We have developed an expertise in this area. Our partners are frequently asked to speak on the topic and Partner Rich Ruohonen has written and published an article on the myths of traumatic brain injury. Call us today at 612-362-0000. We are ready to help you on the road to physical and financial recovery.

For years the league has minimized or denied statistics compiled by others showing a high percentage of former players, who sustained repetitive concussions, suffered some type of brain deterioration. The league finally commissioned a study on concussions and the data revealed that football players as young as 30 were 19 times more likely to be diagnosed with a memory disorder or dementia than the national average. Players over 50 were diagnosed with dementia-related illness at a rate of 5 times the national average.

Professional football players realize that the game is tough and that they may be injured. The players have also trusted that team doctors would accurately assess their ability to play — and bench them if warranted. When a player sustains a knee injury, they are out for weeks. When a player gets a concussion, sometimes they are out only one series of downs.

The brain is in many ways more fragile than other parts of the body. It does not heal like a fracture. All of these studies are showing the cumulative nature of concussions. The treatment of concussions needs to be modified.

News Report on Concussions and Professional Football

There is another study, by Dr. Bennet Omalu, forensic pathologist and neuropathologist in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in which another type of brain injury was identified. Dr. Omalu named it Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. Omalu examined the brains of five former professional football players. Repeated concussions and sub-concussions (”build-up” effect from repeated blows to the head) incurred during the play of football over a long period can result in CTE. The brain changes in CTE include scarring of brain tissue, damage to cerebral blood vessels, and torn microfibers.

The bottom line is that professional players have to be more in tune with their health. In younger players, parents need to be more proactive on behalf on their children.

As time goes by, statistics will continue to support that brain injuries occur in contact sport participants and that the injuries can be compounded. What if you add a car accident to an old football injury or vice versa — the effects multiply.

What needs to change? Helmets? Treatment? Rules? Many people do talk about the possibilities that helmets increase the brain damage because they give players a false sense of security. There are new designs in helmets to reduce concussions. The new helmets are expensive and professional teams have not been willing to pay for them until there is more data to support that they really do reduce the number of concussions.

This information is provided as service of TSR Injury Law, a personal injury law firm serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington and the state of Minnesota. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling traumatic brain injury cases. Call 612-362-0000 for more information or contact a Minnesota Brain Injury Lawyer.

• may or may not have a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes – don’t rely on this to exclusively determine a brain injury or whether to seek medical treatment
• headache – the more severe the brain damage the more persistent the headache
• confusion
• lightheadedness
• dizziness
• blurred vision or tired eyes
• ringing in the ears
• bad taste in the mouth
• fatigue or lethargy
• a change in sleep patterns
• behavioral or mood changes / personality change
• trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking
• repeated vomiting or nausea
• convulsions or seizures
• an inability to awaken from sleep
• dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes
• slurred speech
• weakness or numbness in the extremities
• loss of coordination
• restlessness or agitation
• coma

What to Do if You Suspect TBI

If someone is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, they should receive medical attention as soon as possible. Because little can be done to reverse the initial brain damage caused by trauma, medical personnel try to stabilize an individual with TBI and focus on preventing further injury. Of utmost importance is:

• proper oxygen supply to the brain and the rest of the body
• maintaining adequate blood flow
• controlling blood pressure

Imaging tests can help with diagnosis and prognosis. Imaging that may be recommended:

• skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability
• computed tomography (CT) scan for moderate or severe cases –will show location and shape of hemorrhage

This information is provided by TSR Injury Law. Our attorneys are consistently named Super Lawyers by their peers and Chuck Slane has been voted one of the 2008 Minnesota Top 40 Personal Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys have years of experience with personal injury law, have a stellar reputation, and have secured millions in compensation for our clients. They have proven their expertise in TBI cases with many settlements in the millions. Call 612-362-0000 or submit our contact form.

Costs of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The costs associated with traumatic brain injuries are staggering in both economic and emotional ways. Nearly 100% of patients with severe head trauma and almost 70% of those with moderate head trauma will be permanently disabled to some extent and will never return to their full functioning capacity. In the U.S. alone, the direct cost of care for patients with TBI is estimated at more than $25 billion annually – excluding inpatient care.

The relational / interpersonal costs are more difficult to assess, but can be extensive. Very often the patient seems and is a different person with different thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. When the brain has suffered damage, behavior is impacted in these three ways:

• Intellect (information handling of behavior)
• Emotional (feelings and experiential consciousness)
• Control (how behavior is expressed)

Information on Brain Injury Symptoms

Types of Brain Injuries

TBI may be divided into two main categories, closed head injury and penetrating head injury. Brain injuries can then be further broken down into specific classifications:

• Skull Fractures
• Coup and Contrecoup Brain Injuries
• Concussions
• Post-Concussive Syndrome
• Subdural Hematoma
• Cerebral Anoxia
• Shaken Baby Syndrome

This information is provided by TSR Injury Law. Our attorneys are consistently named Super Lawyers by their peers and Chuck Slane has been voted one of the 2008 Minnesota Top 40 Personal Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys have years of experience with personal injury law, have a stellar reputation, and have secured millions in compensation for our clients. They have proven their expertise in TBI cases with many settlements in the millions. Call 612-362-0000 or submit our contact form.