by Spencer Aronfeld | Oct 15, 2018 | Brain Injuries, Car Accidents
Injuries sustained in a serious car accident can be life altering, both physically and mentally. If an automobile accident has left a person permanently disabled, the injuries not only affect the accident victim, but oftentimes the entire family. A permanent disability can leave the family of the injured victim overwhelmed with medical bills, in-home care and lost wages. New medical devices may need to be purchased to accommodate the disability. Regularly attending physical therapy sessions to regain as much movement as possible, ongoing surgeries and medical expenses, possibly 24-hour assistance, along with mental health therapy are oftentimes needed to adjust to life moving forward. Some of the most common types of permanent disabilities we see as auto accident attorneys include: partial or total paralysis, crushed limbs and amputations, vision and hearing loss, traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). What Is a Permanent Disability? An individual is permanently disabled if he or she can no longer engage in a substantial income-producing activity due to a physical or mental condition. Further, for the injury to qualify as a permanent disability, a physician has evaluated the person and has determined that this condition has lasted or is expected to last continuously for at least a year. Many permanent disabilities result from an individual being involved in a serious accident and can range in scope depending on the type of accident and type of injuries sustained. What Are the Types of Permanent Disabilities? A permanent disability can be both total and partial. If the victim is totally and permanently disabled, he or she will be unable to ever return...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Jul 23, 2018 | Brain Injuries
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI’s) are often the least visible, but deadliest of injuries. This type of injury is most commonly seen in motor vehicle accidents and result from the high velocity impact of the crash. Even milder TBI’s, like concussions, can have major consequences when suffered repeatedly. Traumatic brain injuries can be caused by a variety of accidents, including: auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability accidents and construction accidents. TBI’s can affect anyone at any age and can have serious and lifelong effects. Victims of brain injuries often suffer the loss of muscle use, speech, vision, hearing or the ability to taste. The most commonly damaged part of the brain is the frontal lobe, which controls personality. Frontal lobe damage is often seen in victims of car accidents when their head smashes into the windshield, steering wheel, airbag or the top of the vehicle. What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)? A TBI occurs from a sudden and violent blow to the head or body. A TBI can result from an object breaking through the brain tissue, such as a piece of glass or a bullet. However, a TBI can also result from a jolt to the head from a collision when a person’s head snaps back and forth after being hit in a car accident. A TBI can be extremely serious, if not deadly, and it is important that the symptoms of a TBI be recognized quickly so that the injured individual receives prompt medical attention. What Are the Symptoms of a TBI? The symptoms for a TBI can vary, depending on how serious the blow...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Feb 14, 2018 | Brain Injuries, Car Accidents
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) After a Car Accident? Know the Signs. Approximately half of all traumatic brain injuries or TBIs are caused from trauma sustained in a car accident. However, the signs of a TBI are not always obvious, and many times, they can be overlooked. It is important to know the signs of a TBI so they can be recognized and treated as soon as possible. Common Signs of a TBI The physical symptoms of a TBI are not always obvious. In fact, many times, a person suffering from a TBI may associate the symptoms with something else and may postpone medical attention until it is too late. The symptoms of a TBI can include one or more of the following physical symptoms: Nausea and/or vomiting; Loss of consciousness, ranging in length from a few seconds to a few hours; Seizures or convulsions; Dilation of the pupils or double vision; Difficulty staying awake; Clear fluids draining from the ears or nose; Slurred speech; Weakness in limbs; Loss of balance or coordination; Other behavioral changes may be noticed such as sudden anger or rage or extreme mood swings. A person suffering from a TBI can experience blurred vision, sensitivity to lights or sounds, ringing in the ears or sensory problems. If any of these symptoms are experienced by someone involved in a car accident, that person should been seen by a doctor immediately. What Happens During a TBI? Brain trauma during a car accident occurs when the skull strikes another object in the car, like a steering wheel or the windshield. The trauma can often be readily apparent, meaning...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Dec 11, 2017 | Brain Injuries, Car Accidents
Each year approximately 280,000 people in the United States suffer a traumatic brain injury in a car accident or collision. That’s nearly 20% of all head and brain injuries that occur in the same 12-month period, making car accidents one of the major causes of brain injuries in the country. Only falls account for more head injuries in the United States. Furthermore, the head injuries from a car accident are frequently significant, causing a person to experience long-term consequences and complications. What else do you need to know about head injuries in a Florida car accident? Below we cover the circumstances and information you need. What Is a Brain or Head Injury? The terms brain injury and head injury describe a wide range of health conditions and ramifications associated with trauma to the scalp, skull, or brain. The amount of damage to the brain and head can vary from a small bump, with no other negative effects to traumatic brain injury, which can be fatal. The most common head injury from a car accident is a concussion. Rarely is this form of head trauma deadly, but each year there are several cases in which concussions lead to irreparable brain damage. The symptoms of a concussion often include feeling dizzy or unbalanced, nausea, moments of disorientation or amnesia, and sleep disturbances or unexplained fatigue. After a car accident, individuals experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention. Another common injury is a brain contusion. This injury is directly related to the impact of your head or skull on a part of the car, windshield, back of a seat, or another hard...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Aug 1, 2016 | Brain Injuries, Personal Injury News and Safety Resources
Every year nearly two million Americans sustain traumatic brain injuries due to accidents involving high impact. Of these cases, from 75,000-100,000 result in death, and over 500,000 incur injuries severe enough to require hospitalization. Our Miami personal injury law firm deals most commonly with these injuries in car accident and slip-and-fall claims. Most victims of high-impact accidents who have suffered traumatic brain injuries are under the impression that they fully understand the extent of their injuries, or lack thereof. However, it is very important to handle these claims properly and understand the scope of the injury before it is too late and the case has already reached a settlement. DETERMINING THE SEVERITY OF THE INJURY The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was developed to allow medical professionals the ability to quantify brain injuries in acute-trauma patients. This scale is based on an assessment of visual, verbal, and motor responsiveness. The GCS generally provides an accurate indicator of long-term prognosis, particularly in cases of severe brain injury. Brain injuries are typically categorized as either mild, moderate, or severe. The injury is considered mild if the loss of consciousness lasts less than 30 minutes. While only 15% of brain injuries reported annually are considered mild, victims can suffer well over a year from side effects. Signs of a mild injury: Problems with coordination Excessive sleep or depression Changes in mood, violent outbursts Difficulty formulating thoughts or sentences, memory loss Sensory issues (loss of smell, bad taste in mouth, sensitivity to lights or sound, etc.) Nausea Seizures Victims who have experienced moderate to severe brain injuries often lose consciousness for more than an...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Nov 17, 2015 | Brain Injuries, Cruise Ship Accidents, Personal Injury News and Safety Resources
Cruise lines and the lawyers who sue them are closely watching a recent verdict against Carnival’s Holland America, which just got hit by a huge decision in a passenger personal injury lawsuit that resulted in a $21.5-million-dollar judgment. Following a lengthy and hard-fought trial, a federal jury in Seattle, Washington, awarded $21.5 million in damages to an Illinois passenger who suffered a traumatic brain injury on a Holland America cruise ship while walking past an automatic sliding-glass door onboard back in 2011. The verdict included $16.5 million in punitive damages, which are special damages designed to punish the defendant. James Hausman, a 61-year-old resident of Springfield, Illinois, and his attorneys argued during a nine-day jury trial that dozens of other Holland America passengers were also injured by the sliding doors on Holland America cruise ships because of problems with the automatic sensors, Holland America, which is wholly owned by Carnival Cruise Lines, the largest cruise ship company in the world, has denied the allegations and has already filed motions asking the Judge to reduce the judgment. In the alternative, Holland America has vowed to appeal the verdict. Video surveillance video (CCTV) shows Mr. Hausman walking through the automatic sliding glass doors, when they slammed him in the face. He and his family were beginning an around-the-world cruise aboard the M/S Amsterdam. Holland America claims that Mr. Hausman simply walked into the closing doors, and therefore the incident was his fault. The ship’s doctor diagnosed him with a concussion and allowed Mr. Hausman to complete the cruise. According to the injured passenger’s lawyers, diagnostic tests performed once he had returned...
