Types of Brain Injuries: Recurrent Brain Injuries

The experienced New York brain injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro have been protecting the rights of clients since 1990, and have recovered exceptional financial results for seriously injured clients. They have years of experience in many areas of brain injury law, including head injuries, toxic chemical exposure, medical negligence, brain damage and comas. If you or someone you love has suffered a brain injury, coma or other serious injury, you should speak with the New York brain injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro today.

Scientists are just starting to understand the effects of repeated traumatic brain injuries. A growing body of research shows that even minor concussions that don't cause unconsciousness, if repeated over time, can cause symptoms that are dramatically worse than the sum of their individual effects. Recurrent TBIs that happen over years or months have cumulative and severe effects on the victims' ability to think, remember and perform basic tasks; recurrent TBIs that happen within days or hours can cause death, brain death or a long-term vegetative state. And a 1997 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that a first TBI increases a patient's risk of sustaining another. While recurrent brain injuries aren't well understood, scientists do know that repeated TBIs tangle nerve fibers, causing the victim to gradually lose functions over time.

Types of recurrent traumatic brain injuries include:

• Second Impact Syndrome, which is the medical name for a second TBI that occurs before the symptoms of the first one have cleared, within hours, days or even weeks. On the second impact, they seem momentarily stunned, then collapse. This is tragically common among high school athletes, who may ignore their symptoms in order to rejoin a game, or who may be told to "walk off" a minor injury by well-meaning coaches. Second Impact Syndrome has a death rate of nearly 50% and can also cause brain death and comas. Scientists believe it happens because a second blow takes away the brain's ability to regulate its own blood supply, which quickly leads to swelling that causes the brain to fail.
• Dementia pugilistica, also called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or "punch-drunk syndrome," which is caused by a buildup of many TBIs over a decade or more. Sufferers gradually lose their memories and other mental abilities, suffer from Parkinson's-like tremors, and may also have problems with walking, speaking and socially appropriate behavior. Dementia pugilistica also puts victims at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative neurological disorders. Its name comes from its association with retired boxers, but recent research and testimony from retired NFL players suggests that football players are also at serious risk for the condition.

Research on recurrent brain injuries has focused on sports injuries because certain sports, including football, boxing, hockey, wrestling, soccer and skiing, put participants at high risk for head trauma -- and because victims are so often high school athletes. But recurrent brain injuries are a risk for anyone whose daily activities increase their risk of a head injury. In addition to athletes, this can include workers in construction and heavy industry; anyone who drives frequently; many law enforcement professionals; and active-duty military personnel.

Recurrent traumatic brain injuries are serious and catastrophic, causing death, comas and permanent brain damage. If you or someone you care about has suffered a brain injury because of someone else's actions, you have the right to hold that person legally liable for the results. In a traumatic brain injury lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for the injury itself, past and future medical bills, a permanent disability or wrongful death, loss of a loved one's care and other injuries. If you think you might have a case, you should call the experienced New York brain injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro today for a free evaluation of your case.

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