New York Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys

What to Expect After a Traumatic Brain Injury

Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro is a well-regarded personal injury law firm in New York, which has been protecting the legal rights of brain injury victims since 1990. The firm has years of experience in brain injury law, and has the knowledge to represent all types of brain injury cases, including injuries caused by toxic chemical exposure, medical malpractice and on the job accidents. WRS is proud of the significant monetary verdicts and settlements their attorneys have recovered on behalf of seriously injured clients. If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, you should contact the New York head trauma lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro today.

Right after a minor TBI, patients often lose their memories of the accident and temporarily lose consciousness. They may also have a headache, sleepiness, nausea and dizziness. These symptoms are normal results of a blow to the brain and often go away within a day or so if the injury was minor. In some cases, they can take a few days to appear. But if a victim's symptoms don't go away quickly, or if they cause serious symptoms like dilated pupils or seizures, he or she should see a doctor. The doctor will ask how the injury happened, about likely symptoms of a serious injury, like vomiting and confusion, and about past medical problems, including any past TBIs. If necessary, the doctor may order a CAT scan or an MRI to evaluate internal injuries.

After a major TBI, the patient may need surgery or close monitoring in an intensive care unit in order to keep him or her medically stabilized. It may be a while before he or she is able to wake up and communicate with loved ones. A few patients with severe TBIs may go into a coma or other vegetative state. Again, patients may have temporary symptoms due to the initial blow to the head, including memory loss, unconsciousness, nausea and confusion. They may be kept in the hospital for an extended period of time so that doctors can medically stabilize them -- to give them time to recover physically from their injuries and the treatments they've undergone.

Once patients are medically stabilized, doctors and their loved ones will be able to see how the injury affected their abilities. The effects of a brain injury vary widely, depending on the patient, the severity of the injury and what part of the brain was affected. The patient may have problems with basic awareness; the senses; language; motor skills; memory; reasoning; behavior; emotion and more. Patients may not recognize family members, or their behavior may be strikingly changed from before the accident. Doctors and therapists will give patients a series of standardized tests intended to measure their injuries. With the results, TBI experts can sit down with the patient and his or her family, or a social worker, and make a plan for long-term rehabilitation. That plan will most likely include physical, occupational or speech therapy; mental health counseling; regular visits to a TBI expert; and medication to control the ongoing symptoms of a TBI, which can include pain and seizures. This treatment often takes many years and costs millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, this rehabilitation is not automatically given to everyone who sustains a TBI. In fact, research funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that fewer than 20% of TBI patients receive even the most basic rehabilitation; the chances of getting treatment go up for patients who have obvious injuries, loved ones who advocate for them, or the services of a rehabilitation expert. The victim's health insurance also may not cover medically necessary rehabilitation because of a lifetime cap on payments, gaps in coverage or merely because the company thinks it can save money by illegally denying claims. For that reason, it's critically important that family and friends of TBI victims remain actively involved in advocating for their care.

If the brain injury was caused by the deliberate act or carelessness of another party, victims have the right to hold that party legally responsible for the serious injuries they must now live with. A traumatic brain injury lawsuit can help patients get fair compensation for their injuries; any permanent disabilities; loss of past and future earnings; past and future medical bills; and their pain and suffering. If you or someone you love has sustained a head injury, brain damage, coma or other serious injury, you should call the head injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro today for a free case evaluation.

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