Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, and Paralysis

Brain and spinal cord injuries are two of the most devastating and traumatic events a person can experience. These catastrophic injuries can permanently change the lives of victims and their families and require a lifetime of medical intervention and care. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain or spinal cord injury, it is essential that you contact an experienced attorney at once. It is vitally important that your attorney understands the medical and legal complexities of this type of personal injury case. At The Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., our principal attorney has the additional expertise of being a licensed physician and surgeon. Our goal is to recover compensation to provide completely for the needs of the injured victim.

Brain Injuries

All brain injuries are serious. Every year, nearly 100,000 people suffer brain injuries that permanently affect their ability to carry out a normal life. Brain injuries can be caused by many things, such as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, slip and falls, defective products, medical malpractice, falling objects, or intentional acts (assault and battery). There are essentially two types of brain injuries:

• Traumatic brain injuries are caused by outside forces to the head. There are two types of traumatic injuries.  An open head injury occurs when the skull has been fractured. A closed head injury does not involve a fracture, and a person may not even realize at first that they have been injured. Both types of brain injury can cause paralysis, loss of vital body functions and even death.
• Acquired brain injuries develop from conditions inside the body such as oxygen deprivation or a tumor. They are not caused by head injuries. An example might be medical malpractice where a patient is not given sufficient oxygen during surgery.

The medical community has established three classifications for brain injuries:

• Mild brain injury: usually causes subtle problems that can be difficult to detect. Symptoms might include changes in personality and memory, fatigue, headaches, vision problems, insomnia, dizziness, depression, or seizures.
• Moderate brain injury: A moderate brain injury can cause loss of consciousness that lasts from several minutes to several hours. Confusion can last for weeks or months. Mental or physical impairments may last for months or could be permanent.
• Severe brain injury: can cause loss of consciousness or mobility for days, weeks, months, or permanently. The victim can be in a coma, vegetative state, or paralyzed.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Like a brain injury, a spinal cord injury can be one of the most devastating events that a person and his or her family can experience. The severity of a spinal cord injury depends upon where the trauma occurs. Injuries that occur higher on the spinal cord usually have more severe consequences. Spinal cord injuries can result in any of the following conditions:

• paralysis
• loss of motor functions
• loss of sensation in the limbs or other body parts
• loss of manual dexterity
• difficulty breathing
• loss of bowel or bladder control
• pain in the neck or spine
• loss of reflexes
• loss of balance
• loss of sexual function

Spinal cord injuries are usually classified as follows:

• Tetraplegia: also called quadriplegia, it is caused by a spinal cord injury in the neck area and can cause paralysis of the upper and lower extremities, including both the arms and legs.
• Paraplegia: caused by an injury below the neck level and results in paralysis of the lower part of the body, including the legs.

Paralysis

The costs associated with the treatment of paralysis from a brain or spinal cord injury can be staggering and victims often require a lifetime of medical care. Such injuries are classified in the following manner, depending upon how extensive the nerve damage is:

• Complete: no sensation or voluntary movement below the point of injury, affecting both sides of the body.
• Partial: some function and feeling occurs below the point of injury; one side of the body may be more affected than the other.

In addition to the partial or total loss of movement and sensation, a victim of paralysis may have additional medical problems, such as difficulty breathing (possibly requiring a ventilator), loss of involuntary functions (inability to regulate blood pressure and body temperature), or loss of bladder and bowel control.

Los Angeles based California Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, and Paralysis Attorney

When brain or spinal injuries occur, medical costs can add up quickly and overwhelm most families. If you or a loved one has sustained a brain or spinal cord injury due to another person’s negligence or wrongful act, you can and should hold them responsible.  At The Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq, we have the medical and legal experience to help you secure the money you need to pay for past and future medical costs, compensate you for pain and suffering, make up for lost income, and provide for specialized needs (such as home accommodations, skilled attendant care, adaptations for car hand controls, etc.). Our attorneys understand the trauma and difficulties that you face, and we will aggressively work to protect your rights.