Sacramento Injury Attorneys Blog
Articles Posted in Head Injuries
Elk Grove Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses NFL Player Brain Injuries
Elk Grove Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses NFL Player Brain Injuries
Over the years, the NFL has undergone extreme criticism for its failure to take care of players after retirement that suffer from permanent disability or long-term medical effects related to injuries sustained while playing football. Back in 1994, the NFL Commissioner founded the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Committee that was focused on determining whether any long-term health effects arose from concussions sustained during football games. A doctor with no background in neurology or neuropsychology with no experience with head trauma was appointed lead of the MTBI Committee. The Committee began conducting surveys and studies and releasing findings. In sum, since the Committee was created, the results of the studies have largely concluded that football concussions were not affiliated with long-term effects.
More Bicycle Commuters = More Bicycle Injuries?
Does this equation ring true: more bicycle commuters = more bicycle injuries? According to a recent report from the American Medical Association journal (JAMA), the answer is yes. As gasoline prices and concerns over the environment have risen, more people nationwide have taken to riding bicycles to get to work and errands around town. It is good exercise and means fewer vehicles on the road, but apparently it also means more hospital admissions – according to the JAMA study, admissions due to bicycle-related injuries have more than doubled since 1998. The increase was the largest with bicyclists aged 45 and older. A study in another journal concluded that there was a similar rise in bicycle related deaths in that age group.
While some of these injuries and deaths could be attributed to an uptick in participants in bicycling as a sport (triggered by Lance Armstrong’s popularity), it is likely that the bicycle commuter increase is also responsible.
Elk Grove Man Laid to Rest
Elk Grove Man Laid to Rest
Evan James Robertson, 23, of Elk Grove was laid to rest over the weekend after dying at the scene of an auto accident on July 18, 2015. According to the California Highway Patrol, Evan was a passenger in a vehicle with two other people traveling westbound on Highway 50 near Third Street when their vehicle rear ended another car that had broken down in the slow lane of the freeway. Evan, who was riding in the back seat of the car and was not wearing a seat belt, sustained serious head injuries which ended his young life.
Concussions are common Injuries in Motorcycle and Auto Accidents
Concussions and closed head injuries, also known as traumatic brain injuries, are common injuries following an auto or motorcycle accident. I have represented many clients over the years with these types of injuries and they can have a substantial effect on one’s life and cognitive abilities.
Classic concussion is defined as a brief and reversible coma occurring at the time of a trauma to the head. This type of concussion is always accompanied by some degree of retrograde and post-traumatic amnesia (anterograde amnesia). Neurological changes, such as slowed heart rate (bradycardia), dilated pupils, and sometimes even brief seizure-like episodes, are also associated with it. By definition, classic concussion always implies a transient loss of, or very signifi cant alteration of, consciousness and awareness.
Head injuries are not always easy to spot.
Closed head injuries, also known as traumatic brain injuries, are not so easily seen following an auto or motorcycle accident. But they are very common, and very hazardous if not diagnosed and treated properly. I have represented many clients with these types of injuries over the years and they can have a substantial effect on one’s life and ability to function.
The symptoms that characterize post concussion syndrome may emerge at varying intervals following head trauma. All caregivers (which may include investigating police officers and citizens who have stopped to give assistance) may be able to observe the demeanor of the victim at some particular point in the evolution of the syndrome. Even a relatively unsophisticated observer arriving at the scene of the accident shortly after its occurrence may have made potentially valuable observations.
Common Fractures After a Motor Vehicle Accident
Common Fractures after a Motor Vehicle Accident
Common Fractures occur in Motor vehicle accidents with high-velocity impacts. There can be fractures to many different bones throughout the body. Often, fractures can be found from head to toe, depending on where the impact was and where the individual was located in the vehicle. Those passengers or the driver with an airbag tend to suffer less from head, neck, and chest fractures but they are still possible, especially if the individual isn’t seat-belted properly.
Bicycle Helmet Laws
By the late 1980s, states in the U.S. began adopting a variety of bicycle helmet laws to improve safety and reduce serious injuries. Studies have found that helmets can reduce reduce the occurrence of head injuries by about half and the frequency of neck or facial injuries by about one third. These studies are not without controversy, however, as other studies and anecdotal data indicate there may be much less protection from helmets. Currently, more than 20 states have some form of a statewide bicycle helmet law and hundreds of cities have individually adopted similar requirements. Only about a dozen states have neither statewide nor local bicycle helmet laws.
Since 1999, standards for helmets in the United States have been mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The primary protection offered by this type of helmet is a reduction in impact acceleration to the head from an inner liner of polystyrene that absorbs energy as it crushes, similar to how a car’s structure is designed to absorb energy by crushing so as to protect its occupants. In order to offer this crush protection, however, it is crucial that bicycle helmets be in good condition (no prior impacts) and properly fitted to each individual rider’s head. Unfortunately, this often doesn’t happen — one study published in 2003 found that although nearly three-quarters of the studied children reported wearing helmets when bicycling, more than 90% of children had helmets with either condition and/or fit problems. When the fit of the helmet had been selected by the parent alone without any expert input, none were found by the study to fit properly. Expert assistance is key.
Tinnitus from Neck and Head Injuries
Tinnitus — a chronic condition of ringing or other sounds in the ears, the symptoms of which can range from annoying to disabling — can arise from a variety of causes, including hearing loss from noise exposure, infections, reactions to drugs, and spontaneously from unknown causes. Once significant category is tinnitus from neck and head injuries.
A study of tinnitus sufferers pubished in 2003 found that more than 12% reported tinnitus from neck and head injuries, with a third of these patients reporting their symptoms arose after neck injuries (such as “whiplash” type hyperextension/hyperflexion injuries) alone. The remainder had experienced either head injuries or a combination of head and neck injuries. The study also found that tinnitus from neck and head injuries tends to be significantly more severe than tinnitus from other causes.
Crane Accidents
Something about crane accidents capture the imagination and horror of many. When a tragic crane accident occurs, it is often front page news, perhaps because it results in dramatic images of property damage, sometimes way up in a city’s skyline. But the severe injuries and deaths that can occur in such a situation make an accident involving a crane something not to be ogled, but avoided at all costs. Construction workers account for a disproportionate percentage of work-related fatalities yearly and are substantially more likely to receive serious injuries when compared to employees in other industries.
After a series of crane accidents making the news, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a program aimed at reducing significant injuries and deaths related to the operation of cranes in general industry, construction and maritime operations in the Pacific Northwest. And to improve compliance with its program, OSHA conducted compliance inspections, training, consultations on-site, and outreach programs. They also formed partnerships and alliances to help improve crane safety.