Brain Injury Attorney
Each year in the U.S., about 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury. Of these 1.7 million, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 52,000 die.
A traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain sustains damage from an outside force. A person may sustain a traumatic brain injury in a fall or car accident. A non-traumatic brain injury involves internal damage to the brain, usually from a condition like stroke, tumor, cancer, or a brain infection.
Depending on the severity of a brain injury, symptoms may be physical, mental, or both. Physical symptoms include headaches, blurred or otherwise damaged vision, seizures, dizziness, and trouble balancing. Mental or cognitive symptoms include confusion, difficulty speaking or communicating, amnesia, disorientation, and mood swings.
Statistics
- Traumatic brain injuries contribute to one third of all injury-related deaths in the U.S.
- 75% of traumatic brain injuries per year are classified as concussions or other mild forms of traumatic brain injury.
- Those most likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury are children age 4 or younger, young adults age 15 to 19, and adults age 65 or older.
- Adults age 75 or older have the highest rate of traumatic brain injury-related hospitalization and death.
- Traumatic brain injuries are generally higher for males than for females.
- Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries, and cause the most brain injury-related emergency room visits.
- Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death related to traumatic brain injury, and are highest among adults age 20 to 24.
Resources
If there is any good thing that came out of the Gulf War, it is an increased awareness of the devastating effects of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Abundant research and case studies have given health care providers and recovering patients new tools with which to confront the repercussions of head injuries.
Maryland has several organizations dedicated to helping families and people with brain injuries:
The University of Maryland Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute offers a number of services to people with traumatic brain injuries. These include an inpatient program, post-acute care system, and support group. For more information or to refer a patient, call 410-328-8680.
The Brain Injury Resource Coordination and Training program helps people with acquired brain injuries transition to life outside of an institution, providing them with the resources and services they need to function independently. To contact one of the program’s coordinators, can call the helpline at 1-800-444-6443.
The Maryland Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board advocates for people with brain injuries and increases brain injury prevention by engaging with elected officials, promoting brain injury education in the community, and improving quality of life for those affected by brain injury. To contact the Board, you can email or call Stefani O’Dea of the Behavioral Health Administration, at 410-402-8476 or [email protected]. The Board also holds regular meetings at the Maryland Department of Transportation in Hanover, and a schedule can be found on their website.
The Brain Injury Association of Maryland seeks to give a voice to those affected by brain injury. Their work includes advocacy, education, and research. The Brain Injury Association works in conjunction with the Brain Injury Resource Coordination and Training program. Located in Baltimore, they can be reached via phone at 1-800-221-6443.
Additionally, the Medicaid Waiver program for individuals with brain injuries provides community-based service for people over age 17 who have an acquired brain injury, and who reside in a state psychiatric hospital, state-owned and operated nursing home, or Maryland licensed chronic hospital that is CARF accredited. Call 410-402-8476 to contact their Office of Adult Services.
Contact an Experienced Salisbury Brain Injury Attorney
Our brain injury attorneys at Otway Russo, P.C., can direct you as you seek compensation for:
- Medical care
- Lost wage replacement
- Pain and suffering
Readjustment problems can be as difficult to deal with as physical pain after a head injury. Friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers may believe you are back to normal after a period of time when a closed head injury masks symptoms from view. As you seek to return to a normal life, however, you may discover you suffer from hardships such as personality change, mood swings, difficulty concentrating and lingering troublesome symptoms that are hard to describe to other people. You may be unable to hold down a job. You may need to retire to your bed often, and miss out on family life as you once knew it.
How do you know when you should talk to a lawyer? The fact that you have arrived on this Web page is a good indicator. We can evaluate your head injury case at no charge. We would like to explain how our personal injury law firm can help you after a car accident or other serious accident.
Contact us to learn how we can advocate for you after a traumatic head injury in Maryland. Call (410) 749-3900 for a prompt response.