Brain Injury

Experienced Harrisburg Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

Respected TBI attorneys helping families in and around Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

 

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by the application of force on the head. Common causes of TBIs include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle spills, slip and falls accidents, medical malpractice, explosions, and acts of violence. For many victims, their life is never the same once they suffer a head injury. Many victims require surgery to give the victim a chance at the best life. Many victims live with physical pain, emotional scars, and cognitive difficulties.

At KBG Injury Law, our Harrisburg brain injury lawyers are skilled catastrophic injury lawyers. We are respected for our ability to show how an accident caused your head injuries, and why the defendants should be held responsible. We work with your team of doctors and independent medical experts to show just how devastating and life-changing your injuries (or those of a loved one) are. We are often able to negotiate settlements for the insurance policy limits. When defendants deny liability or make low-ball offers, we’re ready to try your case before a Harrisburg County jury.

Practice Areas

Lancaster Brain Injury B

How can we help?

What types of head injuries are there?

Head injuries include injuries to the scalp, skull, and brain, as well as the blood vessels, tissues, and membranes in the head.

Head injuries are generally classified as closed injuries (damage done within the brain and skull, usually from the brain hitting the skull or moving within it) or penetrating injuries (injuries caused by an object entering the skull and brain). Whiplash from a rear-end crash can cause a closed head injury. TBIs are classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the severity of the initial symptoms.

Skull fractures are classified as:

  • Linear skull fractures. These are the most common type of skull fractures. They generally do not require treatment. Patients can usually return to normal activities in a few days.
  • Depressed skull fractures. Here, there are broken or crushed cranial bones. If the fracture is severe, surgery will be required to correct the fracture.
  • Diastatic skull fractures. These types of fractures occur along the suture lines of the skull – the places where the skull bones fuse. They mostly affect newborns and infants, though they can affect adults as well.
  • Basilar skull fracture. This is a break at the base of the skull and can lead to severe bruising.

What are common types of brain injuries?

Common types of brain injuries include:

  • Edema is a swelling of brain tissue, which causes pressure to build in the brain.
  • This head injury causes a loss of awareness for seconds or much longer. The injury occurs when the brain hits the inside of the skull. Repeat concussions can cause severe brain damage.
  • This is a serious injury that involves blood clotting in or around the brain that can lead to pressure build-up in the skull, and cause loss of consciousness or permanent brain damage. Hematomas may be life-threatening. The main types of hematomas are:
    • Epidural hematoma
    • Subdural hematoma
    • Contusion or intracerebral hematoma
  • A hemorrhage is excessive bleeding caused by a ruptured blood vessel. Bleeding in the space around the brain is called subarachnoid hemorrhage. Within the brain, it’s called intracerebral hemorrhage.
  • Diffuse axonal injury (DAI). This type of injury is caused by rapid movement of the brain, leading to the tearing of the fibers (axons) within the brain. It is usually due to accidents such as car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and slip and falls, but it can also be caused by contact sports. This type of head injury can lead to permanent brain damage or death.

What are the medical costs of a brain injury?

According to TBI.com, the medical costs of a TBI can be in the millions, especially when the victim is young.  Much of these costs are associated with hospitalizations, but physical, occupation, and other types of therapies also increase the financial burden. Survivors of a traumatic brain injury may need help to be able to return to work – if they are fortunate enough to return to work at all.

Head injury surgeries are usually performed by an experienced neurosurgeon. Some of the types of surgeries for TBIs include:

  • Craniotomy with open surgery
  • Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery (VPS)
  • Endoscopic ventriculostomy
  • Decompressive craniectomy
  • Cranioplasty

What tests are used to diagnose a traumatic brain injury?

Physicians use clinical examinations, neuropsychological evaluations, and imaging and electrodiagnostic testing, such as x-rays, CTs, MRIs, SPECT, PE, TDI and EEGs, to diagnose and assess the severity of brain injuries. In performing their initial assessments of head injuries, physicians often use the Glasgow Coma Scale or the Ranchos Los Amigos Scale to assess the initial severity of a head injury.

What types of Harrisburg, PA accidents cause head and brain injuries?

At KBG Injury Law, we seek to hold every person and company that caused an accident victim to suffer head/brain injuries responsible. Some of the many types of accidents that may cause a head injury include:

  • Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents. Vehicle occupants may suffer a head injury if their head strikes a dashboard or other part of the vehicle, they collide with another person, or they are ejected from their vehicle. Even if there is no collision, whiplash injuries and other movements can cause brain injuries.
  • Premises liability accidents. Visitors and workers may suffer accidents if they slip and fall, are struck by an object, or they are attacked due to negligent security.
  • Medical malpractice. Physicians may cause head injuries by improperly using forceps during the birth of a child, or to people of any age due to surgical errors.
  • Acts of violence. Law enforcement officers and firemen are especially prone to acts of violence by people or by flying objects. Hospital workers may be attacked by patients with a mental illness.

How does a Harrisburg, PA injury lawyer fight for accident victims who suffer a TBI?

Our Harrisburg PA head injury lawyers work aggressively to show an accident occurred, who is responsible, and why the accident caused a head injury. We work with private investigators, traffic reconstruction experts, product safety experts, and others. Our lawyers thoroughly question all parties to the accident and all the witnesses. We examine the physical evidence such as the autos and accident site.

Our lawyers work with your team of doctors to verify that you do have a head injury, all the medical care you will need, your inability to perform numerous functions, and your inability to work. We persuasively argue that your head injuries are causing harsh physical pain and emotional suffering.

When the discovery part of your case is complete, we negotiate your claim with the insurance companies for the defendants. If the insurance companies fail to honor their obligations, we argue your claim before a jury.

We file personal injury claims, product liability claims, workers’ compensation claims, and wrongful death claims.

Is there a Harrisburg brain injury attorney near me?

KBG Injury Law has an office located at 717 Market St. in Lemoyne, PA, and four additional offices throughout South Central Pennsylvania. We’ll meet you in your home or at the hospital if you are too injured to come to us.

Get help from an experienced Harrisburg PA head and brain injury lawyer now

It’s critical to speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an accident. At KBG Injury Law, our lawyers move quickly to investigate the cause of the accident and file your claim. We also work quickly to understand the full extent of your injuries, and what medical care you will need. Our lawyers guide head injury victims and the families who often need to take care of their loved ones – through every phase of the claims process.

Contact us today for a free consultation. Call us at 717-848-3838 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment. We represent head trauma victims and families in Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, Gettysburg, and Hanover.