Articles Posted in Brain Injury

Maryland residents might be familiar with the story of an out-of-state man who suffered a brain injury last year by falling off a golf cart. He was recently awarded close to $17.88 million. This personal injury verdict regarding the traumatic brain injury came after a non-jury trial before a judge. It was against a local company that managed the golf course, an affiliated apartment complex as well as its related entities. 

The original incident occurred on the night of Sept. 7, 2013. The victim, a 28-year-old man, was riding on a golf cart on a country club’s golf course. The man, who was seated backwards on the front hood of the cart, fell off backwards. His head struck the concrete golf path when the cart driver — who was an agent of the country club and an employee of the apartment complex — suddenly came to a swift stop.

The judge found that the driver operated the cart negligently and, additionally, acted with gross negligence by not immediately calling an ambulance. Although the victim was later admitted to a local medical center in Norman, Oklahoma around an hour later, an ambulance could have arrived within five minutes if called for immediately after the accident. This severe delay was found to have compounded the man’s injuries, based upon the testimony of a medical expert. The man will require a guardian for the rest of his life as the brain injury will not allow him to live independently or perform any life-sustaining activities that are commonly associated with daily living. The amount awarded was earmarked for  present and future medical expenses, lost wages, as well as punitive damages and pain and suffering.

When car accidents in Maryland involve two vehicles, the damage the vehicles sustain as well as the injuries the occupants suffer can cover a wide range. In some cases, the occupants may be able to walk away without a scratch while in other, less-fortunate cases, the occupants suffer serious injury or even death. However, when an accident between a motor vehicle and a bicycle occurs, the cyclist typically can suffer great damage to his or her health, including suffering a traumatic brain injury.

There is little a cyclist can do to prevent being in an accident with a car besides obeying all traffic signs and practicing defensive cycling. However, there is an easy choice that, in the case of an accident, offers a great deal of protection — deciding to wear a helmet. Many may know that it’s a good choice to do so, but a new study has shown that in wearing one, the chance of suffering a traumatic brain injury — as well as death — is reduced significantly.

Researchers the the University of Arizona analyzed medical records of over 6,200 individuals who had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash. Of those individuals, a little over one-quarter of them were wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. When compared to the individuals who were not wearing a helmet, those who did were around 58 percent less likely to have suffered a severe brain injury and 59 percent less likely to be killed.

The idea of using a bicycle as a sole source of transportation has gained more traction in this country. The benefits of this are obvious — not only is it better for the environment, but it also reduces transportation costs and is a great source of exercise. However, when an Ann Arundel cyclist hears of a serious car accident involving a bicycle, he or she might be more concerned about personal safety on the road, especially when the accident results in the cyclist suffering serious injury or a traumatic brain injury.

A 56-year-old male cyclist recently recounted a serious car accident that involved him just over two years ago that affected his life in no small way. While riding on an out-of-state highway, the cyclist was almost killed one morning when a 21-year-old driver fell asleep at the wheel and struck the rear of his bicycle. The man was thrown onto the windshield and then was dragged nearly 10 feet. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet.

Although the helmet may have saved his life, he still suffered a traumatic brain injury, in addition to several other serious injuries. He was in the ICU for eight days but was back on a bike a month later. However, it took him over seven months to return to work full-time; he went to a speech therapist for a month and a half, and suffered symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

As many Maryland individuals know, a traumatic brain injury can happen to almost anyone at any time. What not as many individuals know about a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is that the injury could remain with them for an indeterminable amount of time. Some might return to prior levels of mental functioning in months, while for others, it might take years, such as is the case for one man from a nearby state. 

The 33-year-old man suffered a traumatic brain injury in Nov. 2013 when he was  struck by a car while walking home. After the accident occurred, family members were told that he was brain dead. During the ensuing weeks and months, the man had multiple surgeries and a litany of tests performed. Although he eventually became a TBI survivor, surviving was only half the battle — totally recovering would be a long road for him.

Aiding in that road to recovery is the man’s 33-year-old girlfriend, who became his primary caretaker last February after he returned home from the hospital. As his caregiver, the woman helps him with everything from accompanying him on medical visits to helping him button his shirt. She has currently changed careers to attend to him full-time and has learned to celebrate the tiny victories when he learns how to do something new.

As many Maryland residents know, traumatic brain injuries can occur almost anywhere. Whether incurred as a result of a car accident or while playing sports, any serious head trauma could have lasting implications on an individual’s overall health due. However, as many individuals still are still in the dark about traumatic brain injury, many cases go undetected for a long time.

The initial symptoms can be varied in nature. A diminishing of cognitive function, loss of short term memory and aphasia — using the wrong word or not being able to remember words at all — are a few of the many symptoms present when a TBI has occurred. However, these symptoms are similar to those of a concussion. Thus, when an individual is told that the symptoms will work themselves out in a few weeks, many do not seek further treatment.

Unfortunately, no two traumatic brain injuries are the same. Many individuals have similar symptoms, but the length of time for recovery varies greatly from one case to another. For example, some with a mild TBI can take years to return to their previous levels of mental functioning, while those who suffered a severe TBI might fully recover in a year. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that any individual will ever completely recover from this type of injury.

It seems like a car accident occurs nearly every single day along the streets and highways of Maryland. Sometimes the accident results in little more than a fender bender or minor injuries. However, sometimes serious injuries result. Furthermore, whether the car accident was caused by a negligent driver, a mechanical defect or poor driving conditions, too often otherwise innocent drivers, passengers or even pedestrians are the ones left to deal with the unexpected injuries.

A recent car accident sent two individuals to the hospital. The accident occurred in early July in Ocean City. According to the police, the chain reaction that caused the accident began when a vehicle was attempting to change lanes.

As it was changing lanes, the vehicle struck another car. That car then swerved onto the sidewalk and, in the process, struck two pedestrians as well as a parked car. The pedestrians were rushed to a local medical center, but no other injuries were reported.

When a Maryland resident hears the words “traumatic brain injury,” he or she, like most people, might think that this injury is often only associated with NFL players or victims of serious accidents. However, a traumatic brain injury can occur almost anywhere. A recent out-of-state incident of a TBI appears to have involved a man, his temper and a whiskey bottle.

The man caused a woman he was in an argument with to suffer a traumatic brain injury, according to the criminal complaint. The injury allegedly occurred after the 32-year-old man threw an almost-full glass bottle of whiskey at the woman’s head. He was charged with three separate counts of assault.

According to the criminal complaint, the man and woman were at a residence at the time of the incident. The man became upset then threw a nearly full 1-liter bottle of whiskey at her, which struck the woman in the head, according to the police. The victim contacted the police two days later, at which point the authorities decided to have her taken her to a local medical center. It was then that she learned that her skull had been fractured, and she had suffered a traumatic brain injury. 

Maryland residents place a large amount of trust in their health care providers. Although highly-trained, mistakes sometimes happen that can unfortunately have a drastic effect on a patient’s health and even his or her life. When a health care worker’s negligence is proved to have contributed to the causing of further injury, a worsening of the patient’s condition, or even death, the patients or their loved ones sometimes seek to file medical malpractice suits.

In another state, a recent medical malpractice suit resulted in $3 million being awarded to a deceased man’s estate. The jury decided that his death was the result of medical malpractice. They deemed that it could have been prevented had his doctor paid more attention to an echocardiogram and had he ordered a new echocardiogram in a timely manner.

The man had been suffering from a progressive heart condition, according to the lawsuit. He was referred to a cardiologist as the result of an echocardiogram. However, the cardiologist never checked the echocardiogram but instead performed a stress test, the results of which showed that although heart function had been reduced, there was not any defect. Unfortunately, the man’s condition worsened, at which point he was admitted to a medical center. Doctors decided that the necessary valve replacement surgery was too risky in his current state of health and, as a result, the patient died.

When a traumatic brain injury occurs, the results on a person’s life can sometimes be long-lasting. What makes a traumatic brain injury even more insidious is the fact that it often presents differently, and the person may appear fine. However, many Maryland residents are learning that even if people are not certain whether they received one or not, the best option is to play it safe and get their injury checked out regardless.

An out-of-state couple recently reached a settlement out-of-court with regard to an accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. The accident occurred when a chairlift malfunctioned, which resulted in them as well as their two children plunging about 30 feet. The terms have not been disclosed.

The accident occurred in December 2010 at Sugarloaf, a Maine ski resort. According to the lawsuit, the father received a traumatic brain injury and both children received closed-head injuries. It occurred when the chairlift they were riding in plummeted due to a cable jumping its track.

Traumatic brain injury is a serious medical condition with an occurrence that is eight times higher than AIDS, breast cancer, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis combined. As most Maryland residents know, this condition has been a widely-discussed topic in current affairs. As is often typical of popular topics, there are a slew of myths that surround traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

One of the first misconceptions is that someone cannot contract TBI if they have not lost consciousness. This issue has been debated in the past, but, in the light of many recent advancements in the assessment and treatment of TBI, a majority of health professionals agree that TBI presents differently in different cases. Thus, the consensus is that a person does not have to become unconscious to be diagnosed with a TBI.

Another misconception is that, after an impact or blast, if a person acts okay then he or she probably did not sustain a TBI.  While this is possible, it is also possible that someone who has sustained a TBI could not only remain conscious, but he or she could be walking, talking and acting normally. Even though there might not be any external signs of damage, massive internal damage could still have occurred. This can result in long-term neurological, as well as psychological, issues.