Traumatic Brain Injuries

Slip and falls or trip and falls can cause serious injuries. The most serious of the injuries involve injuries to the brain. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can range from a concussion to a bleeding on the brain which can be potentially fatal.

Often, a person who slip and falls on ice or snow in a public parking lot or sidewalk lurches backwards and strikes her head on pavement.

The brain is a jelly-like organic material that is housed in the skull which has many jagged edges in its interior. The violent movement can result in a bruise on the brain. Left unchecked, a bruising or bleeding on the brain can be fatal.

If you suspect a brain injury after a fall, it is vitally important that you get to a hospital and request a Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) of the brain. This can detect the bleeding injury.

Often, however, the MRI cannot detect what occurs after a concussion or brain injury -- a loss in cognitive power of the person which can result in loss of memory, fatigue, difficulty in concentrating or other symptoms. This is due to the fact that the brain has millions of neurons (nerve cells) within it and their connections cannot be seen or measured by conventional imaging available to medical professionals at the present time.

In situations like this (where the cognitive ability of the person is compromised but normal radiologic testing does not reveal an injury), an injured person can be treated by a "neuropsychologist."

Neuropyschology is the study of the function and structures of the brain by cognitive testing looking for psychological processes and behavior. The basic idea is that people with a brain injury that cannot be seen by radiology, exhibit certain pattern of behavior which can be detected by testing cognitive abilities. Deficits in recognizing shapes, words and memory can reveal an otherwise undetectable brain injury as a result of a slip and fall or automobile crash.

Remarkably, not all brain injuries require a blow to the head or striking the head upon something. Rapid movement of the brain can result in a brain bleed or concussion as the jelly-like organic substance of the brain itself comes into contact with the hard, jagged edges of the interior skull. A common phrase to describe these injuries is the "contrecoup" injury often caused by whiplash movements after a car crash.

Coup-Contrecoup Injuries are Most Often Associated With "Cerebral Contusions" -- a Bruising (Bleeding) of a Specific Spot on the Brain.

Shaw Law has handled numerous cases involving slip and falls or whiplash cases that need a neuropsychological examination.

Neuropyschological testing can help determine if the brain has been injured, but is an injury that cannot be seen.

While many people associate traumatic brain injuries with vehicle accidents or veterans returning from overseas duty, this is not always the case.

In fact, traumatic brain injuries are commonly connected with slip and fall accidents and depending on the severity of your traumatic brain injury, your life could be forever changed as a result of a trip and fall or slip and fall accident. You cannot diagnose a traumatic brain injury on your own and it is important to get medical attention for your injuries as quickly as possible, even if you do not yet feel any symptoms.

Traumatic brain injuries are very difficult to diagnose and even medical research today is still evolving about the best way to diagnose or treat these potentially catastrophic injury claims. Because of the high stakes involved in diagnosing your injury and getting on an appropriate treatment plan as soon possible, it is important for you to recognize the long-term expenses and the psychological toll that a traumatic brain injury can take.

You need the services of an experienced slip and fall injury attorney in Indiana who can advise you about how your exact diagnosis of TBI may translate into your daily life.

Your attorney will be the person who gathers all of this relevant medical evidence, talks to your medical treaters, gathers your records and bills and presents it to the court or to the insurance company involved to receive the compensation that you need. Without the support of an attorney, you are unlikely to realize all of the potential costs and impacts on your life and therefore, be exposed to make a mistake such as selecting a settlement offer that doesn’t fully consider your best interests.

You need an attorney who is knowledgeable about not just traumatic brain injuries but the typical process for slip and fall injury cases, so that he or she can advise you about what is involved in getting full and fair compensation for your injuries. With so many unique facets of a claim to consider, you must hire a lawyer who is dedicated to fighting hard on your behalf from the moment he or she is hired. At Shaw Law, representation you can trust is a crucial component of your injury claim.

Call or Text (260) 777-7777. Shaw Law. We Get You Back on Your Feet.