Little Rock Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys, Arkansas
Fighting for Arkansas TBI victims and families
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define traumatic brain injury as “an injury that affects how the brain works. It may be caused by a:
- Bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or
- Penetrating injury (such as from a gunshot) to the head.”
TBIs are typically categorized as mild (mTBI, also known as concussion), moderate, or severe. In 2021, more than 69,000 people died from TBI-related injuries.
At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we work with your doctors and independent physicians to determine the full scope of your medical difficulties and your long-term prognosis and needs. We work to hold drivers, manufacturers, property owners, and anyone else responsible for your injuries fully accountable for the physical pain, emotional suffering, loss of function, lost income, and medical expenses victims with a TBI suffer. Our Little Rock TBI attorneys lawyers have negotiated strong settlements and won substantial jury verdicts for many of our personal injury clients.
What is a traumatic brain injury?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over two and a half million people visited an ER or hospital in 2014 for a traumatic brain injury – 837,000 of these people were children. A TBI is a blow to the head or a penetrating brain injury that “disrupts normal brain function.” TBIs are generally categorized as mild or severe. In the worst cases, they’re fatal.
Symptoms of TBIs, according to the Mayo Clinic, are broken down into physical, sensory, and cognitive.
In mild cases, the symptoms are:
- Physical difficulties including loss of consciousness for a brief time, a feeling of being dazed, headaches, nausea or vomiting, speech difficulties, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, and loss of balance.
- Sensory problems including ringing in the ears, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, and bad taste sensations.
- Cognitive symptoms including memory problems, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, and depression.
In moderate to severe TBIs, the symptoms are:
- Physical symptoms including losing consciousness for minutes or hours, headaches that won’t go away, repeat nausea, seizures and convulsions, dilated pupils, inability to awaken, numbness in toes and fingers, and loss of coordination.
- Cognitive symptoms including slurred speech, combativeness, deep confusion, coma or other types of consciousness disorders.
Long-term TBI symptoms include cognitive defects, loss of motor control, sensory defects, psychological problems, difficulty communicating, difficulty bathing and dressing, social changes, and other serious health issues.
Children have another set of symptoms that can be especially hard to recognize without a medical review, as children have difficulty describing pain and emotion. A traumatic brain injury that occurs due to a violent blow or force is also called acquired brain injury (ABI). Doctors use the Glasgow Coma Scale to determine the seriousness of a traumatic brain injury.
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Additional complications of TBI
In very severe cases of traumatic brain injury, victims may:
- Suffer a concussion
- Suffer a coma
- Be in a vegetative state
- Be in a minimally conscious state
- Be brain dead
In some cases, victims suffer what’s called a secondary impact syndrome. Here, a victim suffers an initial TBI and before the symptoms subside, suffers a second blow which results in a second concussion.
Victims may also suffer infections, blood vessel damage, vertigo, paralysis of facial muscles, inability to solve problems, inability to multitask, and other physical, sensory, and intellectual problems.
Causes of traumatic brain injuries in Little Rock
Typical causes of mild to traumatic brain injury include: ·
- Car, truck, and vehicle accidents. The drivers and owners of the vehicles who negligently cause crashes resulting in TBIs should be held accountable.
- Negligent security that results in an assault. Property owners can be liable if they failed to provide safeguards from attacks in areas that are known to be dangerous.
- Slips and falls. Property owners who fail to regularly inspect (or fail to fix) their property for wet surfaces, uneven surfaces, loose railings, or anything that can cause a fall may be liable for traumatic brain injuries.
- Sports accidents. Coaches and schools may be liable if they fail to provide proper supervision during extracurricular activities.
- Manufacturers. Makers of ladders, scaffolds, and other equipment that users rely on to climb heights can be held strictly liable if their products are defective.
- Construction sites. Owners and managers of these sites may be liable to pedestrians and independent contractors who fall and suffer a TBI due to their negligence. Explosive blasts and combat injuries can also cause a traumatic brain injury. Medical mistakes during childbirth are another possible cause of a TBI. Brain injuries can occur from preventable birth injuries such as a Caesarean that is delayed, improper use of forceps or vacuums, and other medical mistakes.
Treating traumatic brain injuries
Treatments vary depending on the severity of the traumatic brain injury.
In mild cases, rest and medications are often prescribed along with follow-up doctor visits to review if there are improvements or if the condition is worsening, and to determine if a worker can return to work or a student can return to class or sports activities.
In moderate to severe cases, emergency care is needed to make sure the victim is getting enough oxygen and has a proper blood supply and blood pressure. Other injuries such as open wounds and infections will be addressed in the ER.
Emergency room medications may include diuretics, anti-seizure drugs, and in severe cases, drugs that can induce a coma.
Surgery may be needed to:
- Repair fractures to the skull
- Remove blood clots
- Stop bleeding in the brain to open a window in the skull to relieve pressure or provide room for swollen tissues
Patients with moderate to severe TBIs may need to meet with:
- Neurosurgeons
- Physiatrists
- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapist
- Language pathologists
- Neuropsychologists
- Social workers
- Rehabilitative nurses
- TBI nurse specialists
- Recreational therapists
- Vocational counselors
Helping Little Rock traumatic brain injury victims get the long-term care they deserve
When traumatic brain injuries are caused by the negligence of other individuals or companies, the responsible parties should pay for all the health care the victim will need. This often includes medical care for therapy and treatments for the rest of their lives. It includes compensation for every day they suffer and are in pain. It also includes lost wages and disability because the victims can’t earn an income. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, our seasoned trial lawyers work to prepare each case for jury. We negotiate settlements, with client approval, only when the settlements are fair. To speak with our Little Rock attorneys, call 501-213-1512 or complete our contact form to schedule an appointment.
Little Rock Office
415 N McKinley Suite #250-J, Little Rock, AR 72205
Call: 501-213-1512
