Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injuries are responsible for the long-term disability of over 80,000 Americans.

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when sudden trauma to the brain causes damage ranging from a mild concussion to severe injury, coma, and/or death. In some cases, a Traumatic Brain Injury can also be caused by medical malpractice due to a doctor's or medical institution's negligence to diagnose or properly treat an injury. For instance, a doctor may provide an overdose of radiation to treat an underlying condition. Approximately 1.5 million brain injuries occur each year and are a major cause of death or disability in children and adults. An estimated 80,000 to 90,000 people with a traumatic brain injury experience permanent disabilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that approximately 5.3 million Americans living with long-term or permanent brain injuries need assistance to perform tasks of daily living. Brain injury can have a severe impact on family, work and social interaction. If you or a loved one believes that you may have a case involving a Traumatic Brain Injury and need to speak with a brain injury attorney, fill out our free case evaluation form.

Brain Injury Facts

• Traumatic Brain Injuries affect nearly 1.5 million Americans every year, resulting in 50,000 deaths.
• Car accidents and slip and fall accidents account for about half of TBI cases each year.
• The primary cause of hospitalizations for TBIs are related to motor vehicle traffic; this rate is the highest among teen drivers.
• Damages from auto crashes total $60 billion annually.

Causes of Brain Injuries

Almost half of patients suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury may need surgery to repair the damaged section of the brain.

TBIs can be caused by injuring your head during a fall, car accident, plane crash, sports-related collision or motorcycle accident, among others. Brain injuries can also result from firearms or medical malpractice. Automobile accidents are the cause of half of traumatic brain injuries, while slip and fall accidents are the top cause of TBIs in people over 65. In children, physical abuse is the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries.

Brain Injury Verdicts and Settlements

The accident lawyers at Morgan & Morgan litigate numerous lawsuits to trial involving Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other personal injury cases. We are extremely proud of the results that we have obtained and look forward to sharing them with you.

• Slip and Fall | Dade County | $6 million
  Premises liability claim resulting in severe brain damage to a husband and father.

• Failure to Diagnose | Lake County | $3.5 million
  Brain injury to 62-year-old man caused by failure to diagnose brain hemorrhage.

• Negligent Brain Injury | Hillsborough County | $3.265 million
  Obstetric negligence: brain injury and death of newborn.

• Brain Injury Following Surgery | $3.25 million
  Brain injury to 53-year-old due to overdose of drugs administered by hospital ICU nurse postoperatively.

• Newborn Brain Injury | Volusia County | $2.5 million
  Severe brain damage to a newborn, brought on by negligent obstetric care.

• Untreated Infection | Pinellas County | $2.0 million
  Brain Injury due to untreated MRSA infection of 31-year-old nursing home resident.

For a more complete listing, please visit our Verdicts and Settlements page.

Types of Brain Injury

Not to be dismissed simply as "head injuries", the following is a list of several types of traumatic brain injuries specific to the location of the trauma:

• Concussions occur after a blow to the head. This type of brain injury pushes the brain violently against the skull, which may cause bleeding or nerve damage.
• Contusions cause bruising on the brain after the head impact.
• Diffuse axonal injury occurs when the brain moves around the skull, mostly caused by car accidents, falls and child abuse. Approximately 90% of those with severe diffuse axonal injury remain unconscious, while the remaining 10% live severely impaired lives.
• Coup-Contrecoup injury causes brain damage both to the side of the head where the brain injury occured and the opposite side of the brain.
• Recurrent traumatic brain injury arises when a brain injury occurs before a prior one has healed. This is often found in athletes who return to sports before symptoms from a first brain injury have cleared, where even a slight blow can cause ocular and respiratory failure.

Brain Injury Symptoms

Approximately 10% of all brain injuries are classified as severe. Effects of a traumatic brain injury include problems with the senses, as well as cognitive impairment of perception and speech. Victims of traumatic brain injuries may also suffer from physical and socio-emotional changes, including physical paralysis, sleep disorders, lack of control over the bowels and bladder, changes in appetite, depression, aggression and dependent behaviors. Symptoms of a mild brain injury may include the following:

• Unconsciousness or confusion, lasting less than 30 minutes
• Headache
• Blurry vision
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating

These symptoms may be present directly after the traumatic incident, but also may not appear for several weeks. As a result, many mild brain injuries go undetected. An estimated 15% of brain injury victims have mild symptoms that last for a year or more. These minor injuries can disrupt simple, everyday activities.

Symptoms of a more serious brain injury may include the following:

The effects of a brain injury can last for months, years, or even a lifetime. Many victims of traumatic brain injuries will require rehabilitation in order to regain the most independent level of functioning possible, while some may never return to work or independent living. This can leave the victim's family with extreme emotional and financial burden. If you have fallen victim to a traumatic brain injury, contact a brain injury lawyer today.

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