San Diego Head Injury Attorney

Traumatic brain injuries are typically permanent and life changing. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The leading causes of TBI are slip and falls (28%), motor vehicle accidents (20%), struck by something (sports injury) (19%), and physical assaults (11%).  In the US, TBI is a leading cause of death for persons under age 45. A new case occurs every 15 seconds. It’s estimated that 5 million people currently suffer some form of TBI disability. While the brain is by far the most complex object on earth, it is soft and vulnerable with a consistency of firm pudding.  A person who has experienced a severe form of brain injury can lose consciousness and remain comatose. But in less severe forms, but still serious, are injuries were victims do not report painful symptoms, but instead exhibit impaired cognitive function resulting in a sudden sense of disorganization, impaired memory, and varying degrees of inattentiveness. Unfortunately according the Centers for Disease Control, a number of brain injured patients do not get the immediate medical attention they need in order to experience the greatest chance of a full recovery. If you are exhibiting any of the symptoms as the result of a recent fall or vehicle accident, it’s vital to seek immediate medical attention. If a loved one has experienced a debilitating head injury it’s important to know your rights to recover financial damages. At the Law Offices of Howard Kitay we are experienced with working with head injured patients and advising them of all of their legal and medical options. 

Types of Brain and Head Injuries

Direct Trauma

Any force that penetrates or fractures the skull may cause severe brain injury as destructive shock waves are sent through the brain matter. Displaced fractures of the skull can also push bone into the brain, causing tissue damage.

Direct trauma to the brain can occur when the skull strikes, for example, the floor in a fall accident or strikes a steering wheel in a car accident. Although the skull may not be penetrated or fractured in these types of accidents, the forces imparted to the brain can cause the brain to collide against the inside of the hard skull. When a moving head comes to a quick stop, the brain continues in its movement, striking the interior of the skull. This can cause bruising of the brain (a contusion) and bleeding (hemorrhage). In cases of blunt head trauma the brain can also be injured on the other side of the brain, an injury known as contrecoup. This injury typically occurs when a moving head strikes a stationary object like the windshield. At impact the brain opposite the site of impact is pulled away from the skull, injuring the brain.

Indirect Trauma

Medical research has discovered another mechanism of brain injury besides direct blunt trauma to the skull. The well-known phenomenon of the Shaken Baby Syndrome is an example. Severe shaking greatly stretches and damages delicate nerve cells, at times causing very significant injury or even death. In adults, severe whiplash can involve severe forces that may shake or rotate the brain enough to cause permanent brain damage.

Diffuse Axonal Injury

The brain consists of billions of nerve cells located in the gray matter which communicate with distant nerve cells through long nerve fibers called axons, composing the white matter. Severe sudden twisting or torquing of the brain, as occurs in a sudden acceleration/deceleration - whiplash -- accident, can stretch, twist, and damage these delicate axonal fibers. Under the microscope the axonal damage is called Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). Although diffuse axonal injury generally results from a severe whiplash injury that renders a patient comatose, recent studies have shown that diffuse axonal injury can also occur when there has been only brief loss of consciousness (LOC). Because Diffuse Axonal Injury causes microscopic damage, it cannot be visualized on CT or MRI scans.

If you have suffered a brain injury, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, future lost wages, pain and suffering and more. Most TBI patients require life-long medical care, continuing rehabilitation care and more. At the Law Offices of Howard Kitay we pride ourselves in aggressively advocating for our clients rights to recover the maximum financial award they deserve and require as the result of their injury. There is never a fee until you collect.