Home / Practice Areas / Brain Injuries, Spinal Injuries and Paralysis

Brain and Spinal Injuries Lawyers Serving Lakeland & Sebring

What is a traumatic brain injury?

In recent years, the medical profession has been warning patients against the risks associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). TBIs occur when a person’s skull is subject to extreme force. The trauma to the brain can cause significant, long-term brain dysfunction.

TBIs usually result from a forceful blow or jolt to the head or body. An object that pierces the skull and reaches the brain can also result in a TBI.

Mild head injuries may only cause short-term brain dysfunction, and patients usually recover fully from mild head injuries. More serious injuries are classified as TBIs and are associated with long-term complications or even death.

What are common causes of brain injury?

Events that can cause traumatic brain injury are not limited to auto accidents. Any violent blow to the head can push the brain against the inner walls of the skull, tearing fibers and causing bleeding in and around the brain. Some common causes of TBIs include:

  • Falls — Falling out of bed, slipping in the bathtub, falling down stairs, falling from ladders and other related falls are some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury, particularly among children under four years and adults over 75 years.
  • Vehicle collisions — Passengers as well as pedestrians are at risk of TBIs caused by a collisions. Car wrecks are a common cause of TBIs.
  • Violence —TBIs can result from gunshot wounds, domestic violence or child abuse. Forcefully shaking an infant can cause shaken baby syndrome, a specific type of TBI.
  • Sports injuries — Football, soccer, boxing, baseball, lacrosse, skateboarding, hockey and other high-impact or extreme sports are regular contributors to the annual number of TBI victims in the United States.
  • Explosive blasts and other combat injuries — Explosive blasts and penetrating wounds are a less common but statistically significant cause of TBIs among military personnel.

What are some symptoms of traumatic brain injury?

Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries may not be noticeable until days or weeks after an accident. If you or your loved one suffer trauma to the head, be on the lookout for symptoms such as:

  • Confusion
  • Fatigue
  • Getting lost easily
  • Slowness in thinking, speaking, reading or acting
  • Moodiness (suddenly feeling sad or angry for no apparent reason)
  • Sleep pattern changes (this may include either sleeping much more or much less than usual, or having trouble sleeping)
  • Persistent headaches
  • Persistent pain in the neck
  • Lightheadedness, dizziness
  • Becoming more easily distracted
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Increased sensitivity to sound
  • Loss of sense of smell or taste
  • Nausea
  • Ringing in the ears

Report any of these symptoms to a doctor as soon as possible.

What is a spinal injury?

Nerves in the spinal cord carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body. A spinal cord injury is damage or trauma to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function, reduced mobility or loss of feeling.

Spinal cord injuries can be classified as one of two types — complete and incomplete. A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of injury, so the person affected has no sensation or voluntary movement in those areas. A person with an incomplete injury may be able to move one limb more than the other, may be able to feel parts of the body that cannot be moved or have more function and control over one side of the body than the other.

Paraplegia is the medical term for paralysis and loss of feeling in the legs, trunk and bladder, bowel and sex organs. Arms and hands are usually unaffected. Quadriplegia (sometimes referred to as tetraplegia) indicates paralysis and loss of feeling in the legs and arms, the trunk and bladder, bowel and sex organs. Quadriplegia usually affects all four limbs. Paraplegia and quadriplegia are caused by accidental spinal injuries more often than by natural causes.

What are common causes of spinal injuries?

Spinal cord injuries result from damage to the vertebrae, ligaments, or disks of the spinal column or to the spinal cord itself. A traumatic spinal injury may stem from a sudden traumatic blow to your spine such as the physical trauma of a car accident that fractures, dislocates, crushes, or compresses one or more of your vertebrae. The most common causes of spinal injuries include:

  • Motor vehicle accidents — Traffic accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries. These types of accidents account for about 40 percent of new spinal injuries each year.
  • Falls — Falls are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries in adults over age 65. Overall, slip and falls account for a quarter of all spinal cord injuries.
  • Acts of violence — About 15 percent of all spinal cord injuries are the result of violent encounters.
  • Sports and recreational injuries — High-impact and high intensity sports cause around eight percent of spinal cord injuries annually.
  • Alcohol — Alcohol use is related to an estimated one out of every four spinal injuries.
  • Diseases — Diseases such as cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and inflammation of the spinal cord contribute minimally to new spinal cord injuries.

If you suffered a spinal injury in a car wreck or other accident, our experienced personal injury attorneys are here to help. We listen carefully, explain the law and determine whether you have a personal injury case.

Call Lakeland and Sebring brain injury attorneys for a free consultation

Sessums Law Group, P.A. seeks full and fair compensation for those injured in accidents throughout Florida. We provide legal services in personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. We serve clients in Polk, Highlands and Hillsborough counties. Call our Lakeland office at 877-826-5630, our Sebring office at 863-658-4796 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation in your personal injury case. At Sessums Law Group, P.A., we stand for you!

X

Contact Form

We will respond to your inquiry in a timely fashion. Thank you.

Quick Contact Form