Brain And Spine Injuries

A traumatic injury to the brain or spinal cord can cause lifelong impairment, lost wages, and considerable physical and emotional suffering for both the victim and their families. Whether by surgical error, birth injury, subway or train accident, automobile collision, or slip and fall accidents, these injuries, which are often permanent and life-altering, are many times caused by the fault of others.

At Young & Young, we empathize with the lasting physical and economic consequences of a brain or spinal cord injury. We have represented clients who have been diagnosed with mild, moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries. We understand the complex and unique treatment plans and rehabilitation programs available for brain injuries. We have worked with neurologists, neurophysiologists, and a variety of specialists to help victims and their families heal from such a traumatic event.

Brain Injuries:
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• Brain trauma is usually the result of a direct blow to the head, which can bruise the brain and damage its internal tissues and blood. The severity of a head or brain injury can range from a mild concussion to a severe injury that results in coma or even death. In a closed head or brain injury, there is no break in the skull and the brain is jarred against the sides of the skull, shearing (or tearing) the internal lining, nerves, tissues and blood vessels. This may cause bleeding, bruising or swelling. These types of injuries are often classified as subdural hematomas, sub-arachnoid bleeds or epidural bleeds. In a penetrating or open head injury, the skull is broken.
• The sudden and profound injury the brain sustains at the time of the accident is called the primary brain injury. It can be followed by secondary brain injury, a cascade of cellular, chemical, tissue or blood vessel changes that evolve in the hours to days after the accident. These changes can further destroy brain tissue.

Spine Trauma:

• Spinal cord injuries affect between four and five million Americans yearly, and 400,000 live with the continuing effects of these injuries. Injuries to the neck (the cervical spine) or to the back (the lumbar spine) can result in serious, permanent damage to the spinal cord.
• An injury to the spinal cord, the central carrier of signals throughout the body, may be simply a bruise (or contusion) or a partial or complete tear. A mild contusion may cause the temporary loss of some function below the site of the injury. A complete transection, or severing of the spinal cord, causes a total and permanent loss of sensation and movement below the site of the injury.

For a free consultation about our ability to represent your claims, contact one of the experienced personal injury lawyers at Young & Young in Indianapolis.