Attorney Ed Smith Announces "The Attorney's Guide to Traumatic Brain Injuries," A Comprehensive Resource for Patients and Family Members

    SACRAMENTO, CA, April 30, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- I'm Ed Smith, a California brain injury lawyer and I've been representing people with serious brain injuries since 1982. My firm, the Law Offices of Edward A. Smith, represents brain injury victims from across the state and my main office is in Sacramento, California. Please reach out for free and friendly advice concerning your injury or an injury to a loved one. I can be reached by calling 916.921.6400.

This is a comprehensive brain injury resource. Please use the menu below to visit any section of the resource that is applicable to you.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

All brain injuries are caused by an impact or disturbance of the brain, often through trauma but sometimes caused organically, or a brain injury caused by a stroke or heart attack.

Symptoms of a Brain Injury

Symptoms of a brain injury may occur immediately or may be delayed. Often the immediate focus is on other apparent injuries such as fractures or surgical interventions and the occurrence or extent of brain injury symptoms may be delayed for weeks or months. Symptoms may include being dazed, disoriented, confused brief loss of consciousness, nausea and/or vomiting, and headaches.

Types of Brain Injury

There are different types of brain injuries. Each type of brain injury is unique. The differences in brain injuries depend on the type of applied force, the amount of force, and on where on the head the force was received. The brain injury can affect just one functional area of the brain, several areas of the brain or the entirety of the brain.

Levels of Brain Injury

In initially classifying brain injuries, doctors use the Glascow Coma Scale as a rough approximation of how serious the brain injury is.

Comorbidity

People with traumatic brain injuries don't just have physical comorbidities. They also have Psychiatric Comorbidities. Psychiatric comorbidities are conditions that can happen after the physical injury has occurred and may even be improving.

Statistics on Brain Injuries

Approximately 50,000 Americans die each year after suffering a traumatic brain injury. Those that survive suffer for the rest of their lives with neuropsychological impairments affecting their social life and working ability.

Risk Factors for Traumatic Brain Injury

A mild TBI can temporarily affect the brain cells, however more severe TBIs can result in torn tissues, bruising, bleeding and other damage to the brain. These injuries can cause permanent complications or even death.

Causation of Brain Injuries

Organic brain disease is the general term for decreased mental function due to any medical disease except a psychiatric illness. Organic Brain syndrome can happen due to trauma such as a slip and fall or an assault or due to a motor vehicle crash.

Diagnosis of Brain Injury

There are many different methods used to diagnose a traumatic brain injury including CT Scans, MRI, Spect Scan, Functional MRI, Diffuse Tensor Imaging, and Pet Scan

Common Brain Injury Medications

Brain Injury Medications are carefully selected, prescribed, and monitored by the physician on an individual basis. The physician or pharmacist can explain a medication's purpose, side effects, and precautions.

Types of Treatment - Conventional Facilities

A level I trauma center is a facility that is equipped with the proper equipment and staffed with the right specialists in order to provide comprehensive emergency services to people who have suffered one or more traumatic injuries. Level I trauma centers have arisen out of a need for specialized and urgent care for those who have sustained trauma to the head or brain. It requires a multidisciplinary approach with many specialties involved. Accidents and other traumas are common.

Alternative Treatments for Brain Injury

Craniosacral therapy is one of the alternative treatments for brain injuries. It involves a hands-on, gentle method of examining and enhancing the aspect of the physiological body system known as the craniosacral system, which is made up of the cerebrospinal fluid and membranes protecting the brain and spinal cord.

Types of Medical Providers Involved

If you've been in an accident or have a serious brain injury as a result of a trauma, you may become a patient in a trauma ICU. A trauma ICU is a special intensive care unit that takes care of the most critical patients in the hospital.

Functional Loss Associated with Brain injuries

Some of the functional losses associated with a brain injury include visual impairment, loss of taste, sleep impairment, loss of smell and memory impairment.

Prognosis after Brain Injury

People with a traumatic brain injury can suffer from physical, mental and emotional problems long after sustaining the injury. Generally the prognosis can be based on early findings, such as a low score on the Glasgow Coma Scale; however, even seemingly trivial head injuries, such as concussions can result in long term sequelae.

Caretakers of Brain Injury Clients

Caring for someone who has suffered a TBI injury can be exhausting. The person you have known all your life is gone and sometimes it seems you are taking care of an entirely new person. This is a job you never asked for and there are few diseases or illnesses so overwhelming.

Economic Losses in TBI Cases

Traumatic brain injuries can sometimes be an overwhelming financial burden to those who suffer such injuries as well as to their families. Someone who suffers a craniotomy to relieve a subdural bleed may eventually be rendered a quadriplegic. They may require attendant care throughout their life. Medical expenses alone will be in the Seven to Eight-figure range for a younger person.

Resources for Traumatic Brain Injury

Because a traumatic brain injury can significantly alter the lives of the victim, family, and friends, it is best for everyone to use the following resources to learn best how to cope, recover, and adjust to any life changes. Click the link to find resources that my past clients have found useful in recovering from their traumatic brain injuries.

Edward A. Smith, the founder of AutoAccident.com, has been awarded a 'superb' or 'perfect' rating of 10.0 by Avvo. This largely peer-reviewed rating reflects his unrelenting commitment and personal dedication to his clients since 1982. Mr. Smith's legal practice, the Law Offices of Edward A. Smith, focuses exclusively on personal injury and wrongful death claims.

Avvo, the presenter of the award, is committed to providing consumers with an unbiased rating of attorneys in the United States. This rating is based on variables which include client reviews, success rate, publications produced by the attorney, awards, industry recognition and professional conduct.

Ed has many satisfied clients with 124 Google reviews and 50 Yelp reviews.

Ed is a member of the Brain Injury Association of California. He also appears in the Million Dollar Advocate Forum, an association of National personal injury lawyers who have multiple Million Dollar Verdicts and settlements. Prospective clients should know the track record of personal injury lawyers that will represent them. We list our significant judgments and settlements here on our website.

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