Causes of Brain Injury
How and where your brain was injured –there are endless causes of brain injury. We know that no each cause and outcome of brain injury is unique – here we discuss just some of the main causes, from a defective product to a workplace fall to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries, accounting for almost half of all TBI related hospitalization and deaths in the U.S. The second leading cause is being struck by or against an object. Motor vehicle crashes are a close third, and the leading cause of TBI hospitalizations for people aged 15 to 44 years old, according to the CDC.
Brain Injury Vehicle Accidents
At the Killino Firm, our lawyers are experienced with lawsuits regarding all types of brain injury vehicle accidents, including truck accidents and auto defect injuries (such as tire recall which left at least one victim with permanent brain damage) and the following:
Truck and Tractor-Trailer Brain Injury
No one expects to get involved in a truck accident. But the most recent statistics show that 333,000 large truck wrecks occurred in the U.S. in just one year, causing 3,921 fatalities and injuring 104,000 people.
When a brain injury occurs in a commercial truck and tractor-trailer accident it is usually far more traumatic than suffering a TBI in a car accident, i.e., with another car. And sustaining a brain injury involving a commercial vehicle can be legally complicated. That’s why an experienced law firm, whose attorneys have a record of success handling brain injury caused by trucks or tractor-trailers, should handle these types of brain injuries.
Motorcycle Brain Injury
Motorcycle riders, including their passengers, are far more likely to suffer a TBI (TBI) during a motorcycle accident than other vehicle accident victims. Of course wearing a helmet is absolutely the best way to reduce the risk and severity of a motorbike accident head injury. On a per mile basis, motorcyclists are approximately 16 times more likely than the occupants of a passenger car to suffer fatal injuries in an accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Unfortunately, not all motorcyclists follow the rules of the road and observe safe riding behavior. Other riders and pedestrians and other vehicles can be involved in an accident because of another party’s negligent behavior.
Motor Vehicle Brain Injury
A car accident can change your life in a flash. Motor vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of all traumatic brain injury hospitalizations, and the most common cause of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths related to TBI among people aged 15 to 34, according to the CDC. An average of 102 people per day in 2016 were killed in 34,436 motor vehicle crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .
For most Americans, driving is an important part of their lifestyle, and part of everyday life. But we take our driving skills for granted, and it’s easy to forget that driving can be dangerous. In brain injury car accident lawsuits, the defendant is typically a driver who failed to drive responsibly. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you need to protect your rights.
Bicycle Brain Injury
According to the Bike Helmet Safety Institute, 67,000 people suffer brain injuries each year as a result of biking accidents, and one in every eight cyclists who is injured suffers brain injuries. The most common bicycle product liability lawsuits involve wheels, fork, and frame. Many bicycle and bicycle parts have been recalled due to defects. If your equipment fails, you may have a product defect claim.
In any of the above accidents causing brain injury, the defendant is typically a driver who failed to operate their vehicle responsibly. Our attorneys will investigate and determine who or what is at fault for the crash. Victims of brain injury accidents hire the Killino Firm because they know we will thoroughly investigate every vehicle injury and that our clients will receive all of the compensation they are entitled to.
Many TBI victims are unable to work, and may never feel the same again — which is why working with an experienced brain injury lawyer is essential to pay your medical bills and get the compensation you are owed, and deserve.
Fall Brain Injury
Falls were the top cause of TBI-related visits to the emergency room, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. in 2013, according to the CDC. Most TBIs occurred in children under 15 and in seniors age 65 and up. While every fall is unique, many head injuries caused by a fall happen because the victim hits their head on the ground, wall or another object.
Brain Injury Sports
30 million children and teens in the U.S. participate in some kind of organized sports, but every year about 3.5 million sport-related injuries occur, many resulting in serious injuries and even death. Commonly accidental, sometimes these injuries can involve negligence, such as players slamming you too hard during a fun game of touch football. When this happens and an injury occurs, you may have a case on your hands. At the Killino Firm we have learned through years of experience that sports-related injuries and deaths are often caused by careless and negligent actions of sport leagues and schools, coaches and sometimes other athletes.
Brain Injury Defective Products
We have handled national defective products resulting in brain injury cases in from a national Chinese tire recall and a class action against Mattel Toys. The latter involved lead found in toys, which is known to cause brain damage.
Near-drowning injuries may also be caused by defects in pools, defects in gates or fencing intended to prevent children’s access to pools, or defects in swimming safety equipment.
Medical devices and medications of all kinds, from Guidant heart products to improperly marketed or developed drugs, can cause serious brain injury in innocent consumers.
Household Products associated with brain injury include stepladders, home furnishings and fixtures, home structures and construction materials:
Consumer products account for a large proportion of brain injuries and injury costs in the U.S. A study published in The Journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Prevention found that from 2008-2010, 43.8 percent of the annual 30.4 million non-fatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments involved consumer products. Of these consumer product related injuries, in 2009-2010, just three product groups accounted for 77% of the $909 billion annual cost:
- sports and recreation
- home structures and construction materials
- home furnishings and fixtures
Among those over age 30 years, stairs and floors were a leading cause of consumer product related injury costs, in particular among those over age 70 years where they were responsible for over one-fifth of costs.
Workplace Injuries
We recognize that construction-site injuries can be catastrophic and can change our clients’ lives forever. As a result, we provide personalized and caring representation while zealously fighting for our clients at every stage of their cases, including trial, if necessary. Some common work place injuries resulting in brain injury include: exposure to toxic gas, falling objects and falls, truck accident, and injury from machinery
At the Killino Firm, we have found that, if a worker has suffered a brain injury on the job, a doctor will be assigned and paid for by worker’s compensation once the individual is released from hospital. Unfortunately, most all worker’s comp doctors’ goal is to get that individual back to work ASAP, and do so by finding less injury in a worker. We have also found that not all WC doctors will order the necessary tests such as a PET scan or MRI needed to detect damage to the brain and they are not up to speed in the latest medical literature involving brain injury. For these reasons, our experienced brain injury attorneys should be contacted right after the injury occurs.
Explosive Blasts causing TBI can be more complex compared with a TBI from other causes, such as from a car crash or sports injury. Explosive devices can produce multi-trauma injuries in an individual rarely seen outside combat. Thousands of soldiers and an even greater number of civilians have suffered traumatic injuries due to blast exposure, according to research published in The Journal of Trauma , which reports in depth blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI)
Medical Malpractice occurs when a doctor, hospital or other healthcare provider deviates from the standard of care expected in the medical community, which can result in a patient suffering brain injury.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Brain Injury
Acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (rapid onset, with short-term exposure) symptoms will depend on the degree of exposure, ranging from mild headache to seizures, coma and death. Mild CO poisoning can be overlooked as symptoms can be misdiagnosed as flu or food poisoning.
Chronic CO exposure, such as long-term exposure to faulty domestic boilers, may also go unrecognized. Although the source can be removed and the individual seems to recover, it can lead to anoxic brain injury, shown in documented cases of MRI abnormalities and long-term neuropsychological effects. Recently, carbon monoxide poisoning associated with keyless ignition vehicles has resulted in brain injury.
Swimming Pool Accidents and Drowning Accidents Brain Injury
Most people think of drowning as a fatal accident, yet non-fatal drowning accidents occur far more often. Non-fatal drowning accidents are incidents that result in asphyxiation (a lack of oxygen) from submersion in water and often cause lifelong injuries or impairment.
Our experienced brain injury attorneys should be contacted right after a brain injury occurs to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. The Killino Firm takes your medical treatment seriously and we will fight for the treatment you need for a full recovery from your injuries. If you, a family member or someone you know has suffered a brain injury caused by negligence or a defective product, call us today at 1-877-875-2927.
