Month: May 2010

This blog has often focused on the health hazards arising from a brain injury. Two players in Last night’s hotly contested NBA playoff game between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics left the game with concussions.

On an everyday basis, however, this kind of injury usually occurs after a car wreck or in a slip-and-fall accident.  Even a mild (so-called) concussion can leave the victim dizzy, and with short-term memory issues, and headaches. And severe brain trauma can be disastrous: it can necessitate extensive and expensive medical treatment, sometimes including 24-hour care. To make matters worse, physical and cognitive challenges may also be accompanied by bouts with depression.

In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at a Seattle Hospital found that of about 600 patients with mild to severe traumatic brain injury, half of them suffered from “major depressive disorder” within one year of their injury. This is apparently eight times higher than the rate of depression among the general public. The study also found that only about 44 percent of those patients received separate mental health treatment for depression. The data also indicated that the patient group had a lower quality of life as compared to the non-depressed cohort.

If you are interested in learning more about brain injuries, you should consider becoming a member of the Brain Injury Association of Indiana.  You can contact the organization at http://www.biausa.org/Indiana/.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident involving a blow to the head, see your doctor immediately, and follow the medical advice given. If the condition was the result of an injury caused by the negligence of someone else, legal representation is also important. Contact the experienced Indiana personal injury lawyers at Young & Young in Indianapolis for a private, confidential, and free consultation.

John P. Young, of Young and Young, an Indianapolis Injury Law firm for more than 56 years is your Indiana Truck Accident lawyer. The Young’s have been Indiana Injury attorneys for thousands of Hoosiers who have been seriously injured in large truck accidents, semi tractor-trailer accidents, highway accidents and small truck accidents. Young and Young is skilled at handling large truck accidents because we work on serious injury cases, and unfortunately large truck accidents tend to result in serious injury. Young and Young has represented Hoosiers, and their families dealing with serious injuries such as wrongful death, amputation, spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, burns, blindness broken bones and brain injury.

It is of interest that Ted Boehm, Supreme Court Justice since 1996 is stepping down from his position effective this fall. This is of interest to all Hoosiers, but especially Hoosiers who have been seriously injured in large truck accidents because the law of Indiana that may be relevant to the ability to collect full and fair compensation. The Supreme Court of Indiana is the final word on the law of Indiana. You may think that as a firm that represents Injured Hoosiers, we would advocate for a judge that would be sympathetic to our clients. Surprisingly this is not the case. We want a Judge who is fair to both sides. We do not want a judge who gives preference to either side. That kind of Judge is dangerous. We want an intelligent judge who is dedicated to understanding the law and the rights of Hoosiers. We want a judge that will not be influenced by money or prestige or political influence. We want a judge who has had experience in the court room, on both sides of the bench. We want a judge who is empathetic, i.e. understands the human condition and understands that the law is a tool for the improvement of Hoosiers’ lives. We do not care if the judge is a woman, man, black, white or purple. We want a fair intelligent judge.

If you, or a loved one, have been seriously injured in a large truck accident, call John P. Young, your Indiana Truck Injury Lawyer. Call toll free 1-888-639-5161 or email Mr. Young at john@youngandyoungin.com. Mr. Young guarantees there will be no fee charged unless you receive fair compensation. We handle serious injury cases all over the State Of Indiana, and have for 56 years and counting. Call today.

We discussed in this blog previously how the NFL has focused national attention on the danger of both short- and long-term dangers from concussions in all age groups, and that even a “mild” concussion is a form of brain injury. We also noted that “getting your bell rung” in high school athletics may not be as severe as at the collegiate or pro levels, but possibly more damaging due to the stage of development of teenagers. In fact, data from the National Center for Injury Protection and Control indicates that teenagers may be the group at the highest risk for suffering a traumatic brain injury.

That’s perhaps what makes a study to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics so interesting, even if it is “common sense.” In research that focused on youth hockey, it appears  bracing for an impending blow to the head could reduce the harm from the hit In the study, players wore helmets hooked up to high-tech sensors that measured impact and compared that to game videos and with the number of injuries the players suffered during the season. According to the findings, being prepared for an imminent concussion helped offset more serious injuries. As CNN explains:

“If players anticipate collisions they can better absorb the forces related to impact,” said Jason Mihalik, lead study author and assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “[Athletes] who don’t expect to get body checked are not able to tense the neck muscles to absorb force, and that can lead to a more severe impact to the head.”

Coaches need to train players to avoid the “calamitous” effects of being blindsided, according to Professor Mihalik. So if your kids are active on middle school or high school sports teams, remember that any impairment to the circuitry of the brain at minimum diminishes the ability to process information and perform in school. And serious concussions can lead to permanent and severe harm to the injured person.

An 86-year-old man in Harrison County, Indiana, recently was viciously mauled by his neighbor’s three pit bulls. The dogs apparently crossed an active invisible fence and went into the man’s yard after a female pit bull carried a litter of  puppies into a shed on his property. The man was then attacked by three adult dogs when he walked into his yard. He was bitten several times, but fortunately, the ex-Navy boxer managed to fight off the attack. Police arrived and tasered one of the dogs. The animals will likely be put down or transferred to a pit bull rescue organization. “It was the most horrible nightmare that you can imagine,” the victim’s wife told local media.

Dog owners have a duty to confine their pets to their property to avoid injury and hazards to others. Indiana law specifically requires dog owners to exercise reasonable care in restraining and maintaining their dog on a leash or on their premises. If a dog owner fails to properly restrain or maintain a dog, the owner could be liable in negligence for money damages to the person who gets bitten in an unprovoked attack.

Pit bulls, in particular, have developed a reputation for violent, aggressive behavior. But any dog attack, regardless of breed involved, can obviously inflict serious injuries on the victim, including physical as well as emotional trauma. If you or a loved one have been victimized by a dog attack, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Young and Young in Indianapolis for a free consultation about how you can be fairly compensated for your injuries.

A serious brain injury can happen in a number of different ways.  The most common cause of brain injury is a trauma from a slip-and-fall accident or an auto crash. Separately, it is widely acknowledged that brain trauma has become the “signature” injury in Iraq and Afghanistan combat. Treatment breakthroughs for our military vets will also help everyone with brain-related conditions. But as we noted below, no matter the rate of recovery, or amount of symptoms, most brain injury causes permanent harm to the injured person. Brain injuries also take a huge  physical, emotional, psychological, and financial toll on the victim’s loved ones.

On May 5, President Obama signed a bi-partisan bill that s expected to improve treatment options for military vets with brain damage. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act will give veterans with traumatic brain injuries more access to private care outside the VA hospital system, increase services for female and homeless veterans, and provide more care in rural areas. Perhaps most significantly, the law provides training and stipends to those caring for wounded service members in their family.

According to the McClatchy news service, the measure unanimously passed by Congress “sets up new training and certification for the family caregivers, access to ongoing support services, counseling and mental-health services, respite care, medical care and a monthly personal-caregiver allowance.”

The news media has primarily credited Army Sgt. Ted Wade (a wounded Iraq veteran) and his wife Sarah, with lobbying for these expanded benefits. Congratulations to the Wades and all others who helped to get this bill to the president’s desk.

John P. Young is your Indiana Concussion and Brain Injury Lawyer.  Mr. Young has more than 23 years experience handling brain injury cases for Hoosiers.  A member of Mr. Young’s family has been dealing with brain injury for more than 25 years.

Did you know that a concussion is a form of a brain injury?  You do not have to be knocked unconscious to have a concussion.  It is sufficient to have a period of altered awareness to have a concussion.  In the old days we would call this having your bell rung, or being knocked loopy.   Little did we understand about the significance of having your bell rung.   A recent clinical study by the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington found that more than 80 percent of student athletes who experienced concussions reported a significant worsening of symptoms over the first four weeks after attempting to return to school academics.  This would include dizziness, short term memory issues and headaches.  The demands of school put a burden on the circuitry of the brain.  Any impairment to that circuitry diminishes the ability to process information and perform in school.

Recent attention has been turned to the N.F.L. and the frequency of concussion in the league. Several players have reported debilitating injuries from concussion.  It would be very interesting to see studies done on the long term of effects of concussions have on older NFL players.  I remember seeing Chuck Bednarek standing over an unconscious Frank Gifford.  I remember Harold Carmichael, of the Philadelphia Eagles, receiving his seventh or eighth concussion.  I remember seeing the pain in Curt Warner’s expression as he retired from Professional Football due, in part, to a series of concussions.  The list is endless.  The collisions in high school athletics are not as severe, but possibly more damaging due to the stage of development.

The concussion clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio estimates that more than 400,000 concussions occurred among 7.5 million student athletes who participated in high school sports during the 2008-2009 school year.

If you or a family member suffers a brain injury as a result of the negligence of another, call John P. Young toll free at 1-888-639-5161, or on the web at john@youngandyoungin.com.  Mr. Young guarantees there will be no fee charged unless we recover fair compensation for you.

John P. Young wants to be your Indianapolis and Indiana Social Security Disability Lawyer.  Why should you want John P. Young to be your Indiana Social Security Disability Attorney or Lawyer?  Heck, you can call one of the advertisers easy enough.  Heck they must be good they are on TV.  Heck they must be good they are nationwide.  Well……  The national advertiser uses representatives that may not be lawyers.  The advertisers want high volume.  In order to maintain high volume you are treated like a sheep.  You will have little or no contact with a lawyer, you will be handled by a legal assistant. You will not be able to contact your representative by phone, or if you do, they will have little knowledge of your medical condition.

Truth is John P. Young is a lawyer trained to handle social security disability claims.  He has been representing only Hoosiers for more than 22 years.  He personally handles each claim.  He personally answers his phone calls.  He personally goes to each hearing.  He personally prepares you for your hearing.  When you hire John P. Young, you get John P. Young.  Mr. Young has spent thousands of hours learning the medicine that is vital to properly handling your social security disability claim.  Mr. Young has learned directly from hundreds of medical doctors who took their time to personally teach Mr. Young what he needed to know to represent his clients.  It makes no difference if your injury is from broken bones, spinal cord injury including paraplegia or quadriplegia, brain injury, amputation, burns, psychological concerns, blindness or any of the other reasons why a person might become disabled.  Over his 22 years of representing Hoosiers in their Social Security Disability claim, Mr. Young has learned the rules and regulations that are used to determine whether a person is disabled. He had to –  he wouldn’t be doing his clients any good if he had not.

It may be alright to buy a pair of shoes because the advertisement was cute, but you wouldn’t choose your doctor that way.  Why not you ask?  Because any bozo can advertise.  Do you want Bozo operating on you?  Do you want Bozo handling a claim that may mean the difference between being able to eat on a daily basis and going hungry or homeless?

Call John P. Young today about your Social Security Disability Claim.  Ask around, you will find no one better to handle your claim.  Ask Mr. Young about his experience.  Call him today toll free at 1 888-639-5161, or contact him on the web at john@youngandyoungin.com.

Good news for rock musician Bret Michaels who, as well publicized, was rushed to the hospital on April 22 with an excruciating headache that turned out to be a subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding at the base of the brain). Michaels, who has reinvented himself as a reality TV star on the current installment of The Celebrity Apprentice as well as other unscripted shows, was just released from a Phoenix hospital, and may be able to resume touring in several months if all goes well in his treatment regimen. He still is suffering headaches and back spasms. However, doctors still don’t know what actually caused his condition.

According to Merck.com, “About 35% of people die when they have a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to an aneurysm because it results in extensive brain damage. Another 15% die within a few weeks because of bleeding from a second rupture.”

Michaels is no stranger to serious health issues. He is a Type-1 diabetic and also had  an emergency appendectomy on April 12. Michaels also fell off the stage while performing at the Tony Awards in June 2009, but there is no indication whether last week’s incident was related to what is sometimes called “second-impact syndrome.” Doctors apparently are discounting any connection between these previous episodes and Michaels’ latest health challenge.

A brain injury can happen in a number of different ways.  The most common cause of brain injury is a trauma in a slip-and-fall accident or an auto crash. If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident involving a blow to the head, see your doctor immediately, and follow the medical advice given. If the condition was the result of an injury caused by the negligence of someone else, legal representation is also important. Contact the experienced brain injury lawyers at Young & Young in Indianapolis for a private, confidential, and free consultation.