New York Injury Talk Blog

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) involves a wide range of possible injuries to the brain. Concussions are a commonly-known type of TBI, but other injuries, including incidents when an object pierces the skull, known as penetrating head injuries, also fall into this category. The New York Department of Health keeps track of the number and types of TBIs treated in hospitals throughout the state each year, so that education and resources can be provided to survivors, their families, and people at high risk for this life-altering injury.

According to the New York Department of Health, Dutchess County saw the highest rate of hospitalizations for TBI in 2006 (the last year for which statistics are available), with 137.1 hospitalizations for every 100,000 residents. Nassau County was second, with 131.0 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents. For TBI emergency room visits that didn’t result in the patients being admitted, Genessee County’s rate was the highest, with 884.3 visits per 100,000 people.

The Department of Health estimates that the most common cause of TBI emergency room visits are slip and fall injuries, hitting a victim’s head on an object, or being hit by an object (especially among children), and car accident injuries. Men and boys in New York are slightly more likely to suffer TBIs than women and girls, but this gap is closing, especially among children who are more likely to participate in sports and games regardless of their sex.

Traumatic brain injury is called “traumatic” for a reason: it can have serious and even permanent consequences. If you or someone you love suffered a TBI in an accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced New York traumatic brain injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro & Halperin, P.C. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (212) 222-4336.

In soccer, players may not use their hands or arms to control the ball. Any other part of the body is fair game – including the head. Now, however, parents of soccer players might want to think twice before encouraging kids to try a “header” and hit the ball with their heads. A new study reveals that repeated blows to the head from a soccer ball “header” can cause serious, lifelong brain injuries.

The study examined the brains of 32 adult amateur soccer players, some of whom “headed” the soccer ball over 1,000 times each season. The results showed that the more times players hit the ball with their heads, the more damage they showed to areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory, and high-level visual functions – skills needed to do basic everyday tasks like drive a car or work with tools, as well as skills required to succeed in school and in challenging intellectual careers.

The researchers compared the damage found in the soccer players' brain scans to scans of people who suffered traumatic brain injuries in auto accidents. They found several similarities between the two. While more research is required to understand how these injuries affect a person over an entire lifespan, researchers warn that children should especially be encouraged to avoid “headers.” Damage to a growing brain may be permanent.

Sports accidents, slip and falls, auto accidents, and many other situations can cause permanent traumatic brain injuries that can alter the course of a young person's life. If you or someone you love has suffered a serious head injury, the experienced New York brain injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro can help. For a free consultation, call us today at (212) 222-4336.

One of the most serious and life-altering New York accident injuries are brain injuries. They are often difficult to diagnose and can permanently affect a person’s ability to function, both physically and emotionally. The most common type of New York brain injury is traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

TBI is defined as trauma to the brain caused by an external force that alters brain function. Traumatic brain injuries occur after birth and so the term cannot be used to describe hereditary, congenital, or degenerative brain conditions. TBI does not always cause permanent loss of brain of brain functions. Their severity ranges from mild to moderate to severe, and can be caused by various types of events.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establishes the leading causes of brain injuries to be, in order of prevalence: 1) falls; 2) unknown; 3) motor vehicle accidents; 4) struck by or against; and 5) assault. New York brain injury accidents also occur in sporting events. Contact sports such as football increase the risks of a concussion or contusion. Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury.

Immediate emergency care is vital to diagnosing and effectively treating New York traumatic brain injuries. If the brain injury is a mild concussion, the injured victim will likely be treated and released from an emergency department. However, more serious brain injuries may require extensive medical treatments, extended hospitalization, and ongoing rehabilitation. In extreme cases, a traumatic brain injury victim may fall into a coma, a minimally responsive state, or die.

The effects of a traumatic brain injury can be forever. This can be an extremely difficult time for a brain injury victim and their family, both financially and emotionally. It is especially difficult when a brain injury is caused by the negligence or recklessness of another person or entity. The compassionate Manhattan brain injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, LLP, have successfully helped brain injury victims and their families recover compensation for their losses from at-fault parties. To learn more about your legal rights, please call us today for a free consultation at 1-212-222-4336.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a blow to the head. Although most concussions are not life-threatening, they can cause serious medical complications. In some cases, the side effects of a concussion are permanent. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend watching for the following signs and symptoms of concussion:

• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or memorizing new information.
• Dizziness or trouble with balance.
• Fuzzy or blurred vision or sensitivity to noise and light.
• Headache, nausea, or vomiting.
• Irritability, sadness, or anxiety.
• Sleeping much more or less than usual or having trouble falling asleep.

If you suspect that you or someone you care for has suffered a concussion, seek medical attention immediately. According to the CDC, failing to get proper medical care for a concussion can slow your recovery time dramatically and may even result in permanent loss of memory, as well as the ability to concentrate and other life-altering symptoms of brain damage. You or your loved one may require long-term care and monitoring by a medical professional to ensure you heal fully.

After an accident, you have certain legal rights and options, including the right to seek compensation from any person or company if their negligence caused your brain injury. An experienced New York traumatic brain injury lawyer can help protect your rights and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. To learn more about how the experienced attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro may be able to help you, call 212-986-7353 today to schedule a free consultation.

One of the lead actresses in the new Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” suffered a brain injury while backstage during the preview performance, according to a recent article in The New York Times. The actress was hit in the head with a rope bearing one of the show’s many pieces of heavy equipment. A specialist hired by the producers examined the actress and determined she had suffered a concussion.

The actress is the third performer to be injured during “Spider-Man.” During rehearsals, one dancer broke both his wrists when he landed incorrectly during a flying sequence, while another dancer hurt his ankle during the same landing. Both the New York State Labor Department and the Actors’ Equity Union are investigating safety conditions for “Spider-Man,” which is reported to be one of the most technically complicated shows ever seen on Broadway.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). A concussion occurs when the brain is bruised, usually by a blow to the head. Although most concussion patients never lose consciousness, the injury can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, lack of motor control, and difficulty with memory, speech, and reflexes. Severe concussions can result in permanent brain damage.

The experienced New York brain injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP understand that life after a brain injury contains difficulties most people never expect. Our experience and legal resources can help you seek compensation for your brain injury so you can get on with living. To learn more about how we can help you, please call Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP today to set up a free and confidential consultation.

Brain injury is called "the silent epidemic" for a reason. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 5.3 million Americans are living with long-term disabilities because of traumatic brain injuries. Every year, according to the CDC, at least 1.4 million people in the United States suffer a traumatic brain injury, more than the number of people who suffer heart attacks. Very often, the problem of traumatic brain injury is underestimated or dismissed.

More than 40 percent of traumatic brain injuries are caused by auto accidents, which is the most common cause of this type of injury. A traumatic brain injury in New York can result in changes to how a person processes information. Speech can become slurred. Thinking can be slowed down. Short-term memory can be completely lost in some cases. Judgment can become impaired. Almost always, brain-injured patients need extensive therapy, which dramatically increases the cost of treating this condition as well. And even so, the therapy only helps these injured victims cope with their brain injury. Brain damage is forever.

Continue reading "Traumatic Brain Injuries Have Long-Term Effects" »

Auto accidents constitute one of the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries in the United States. What is traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Basically, it is damage to the brain caused by a blow to the head. Coping with the life-changing consequences of a traumatic brain injury presents a great challenge not only for injury victims and their families, but also to doctors, therapists and society at large.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.4 million people suffer traumatic brain injuries each year in the United States and about 50,000 people die from the injury. The cost of traumatic brain injuries in the United States is estimated at $48.3 billion annually: $31.7 billion in hospitalization costs and another $16.6 billion in costs associated with fatalities.

The CDC also estimates the total cost of acute care and rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury victims in the United States is $9 billion to $10 billion per year, not including indirect costs to families and society in lost earnings, work time, productivity for family members and caregivers, employers or the costs associated with providing social services. Over a lifetime, brain injury care can cost between $600,000 and $1.8 million for a survivor of severe traumatic brain injury.

Continue reading "Traumatic Brain Injuries Can be Costly, Emotional" »

Natasha Richardson, 45, died Wednesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. According to an article, Ms. Richardson’s death was announced Wendesday night by Alan Nierob, a spokesman for the actress’s husband, Liam Neeson.

“Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha,” a statement said. “They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

According to the report, Ms. Richardson suffered head injuries from a small fall during a skiing lesson on Monday north of Montreal. Ms. Richardson’s instructor and a ski patrol member accompanied her off the slopes.

A spokeswoman for the Mont Tremblant ski resort, Lyne Lortie, said that Ms. Richardson was not wearing a helmet during her beginner skiing lesson.

“It was a normal fall; she didn’t hit anyone or anything,” Lortie said. “She didn’t show any signs of injury; she was talking and she seemed all right.”

Continue reading "Natasha Richardson’s Tragic Death Caused by a Traumatic Brain Injury " »

The family of Charla Nash, a woman who was attacked and seriously injured by a chimpanzee, is seeking $50 million in damages against the chimp's owner, Sandra Herold, saying she was negligent and reckless. According to this CBS news report, the lawsuit states that Herold knew the 200-pound chimp was agitated when she asked Nash to come to her house on Feb. 16.

The 55-year-old Nash lost her hands, nose, lips and eyelids during the horrific mauling, which lasted about 12 minutes. The attack crushed several bones in her body. Nash may have also suffered brain damage and permanent loss of vision, the suit states. Doctors are looking into the possibility of a face transplant. The chimp was shot and killed by police.

If you or someone you love has been serious injured as a result of someone else's negligence – be it in an auto accident in New York or as a result of a dog or animal attack – you deserve to be compensated for your injuries, damages and loss.

Authorities are still thinking about whether to file criminal charges against Herold. The chimp had apparently bitten two other people before – once in 1996 and another time in 1998. Herold was also warned by a former animal control officer in 2003 that her pet's behavior was cause for concern.

It is critical that you consult with an knowledgeable and experienced New York personal injury attorney, who will remain on your side and fight for your legal rights. Please call Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP. to find out how we can help protect and uphold your rights.

A woman is filing for medical malpractice in New York against a surgeon who mistakenly left a surgical sponge inside her brain. According to this UPI news report, 84-year-old Mary Pober’s family alleges that she is constantly at risk for serious head injuries since she lost a portion of her skull in a procedure to retrieve the forgotten sponge. The New York woman must wear a helmet forever because of the damage caused by the surgical sponge left in her head.

According to court documents, there is skin, but no bone covering Pober’s brain. So if she fell, that could become a fatal injury, or even a blow to the head could turn out to be fatal. The surgery in question occurred in September 2008 and was performed by Dr. Ron Alterman of Elmhurst Hospital.

Continue reading "New York Medical Malpractice Of Woman Suing Doctor Who Left Surgical Sponge In Her Head" »

Justin Strzelczyk, 6 feet 6 inches and 300 pounds, was a monstrous presence on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line from 1990-98. He was known for his friendly, banjo-playing spirit and gluttony for combat.

But, according to the New York Times, on a September morning in 2004, Justin Strzelczyk was apparently experiencing a breakdown, when, during a 40-mile high-speed police chase in central New York, his pickup truck collided with a tractor-trailer and exploded, killing him instantly. Was Strzelczyk’s bizarre behavior caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy [CTE], a condition which can cause memory loss, depression and eventually Alzheimer’s disease-like dementia, even in a 36 year-old man?

After Strzelczyk’s death, Dr. Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, diagnosed Strzelczyk as having CTE. Unfortunately, tests for CTE cannot be performed on a living person other than through an intrusive tissue biopsy. Post mortem tests on Strzelczyk’s brain tissue confirmed Dr. Omalu’s diagnosis. “This is irreversible brain damage,” Omalu said. “It’s most likely caused by concussions sustained on the football field.”

Continue reading "BRAIN INJURIES STEAL LIVES IN SO MANY WAYS" »

HBO ran an episode of “Real Sports” recently about the tragic frequency of traumatic brain injuries among NFL athletes. This comes on the heels of a study on brain injuries among amateur boxers, and an announcement from State Sen. Kemp Hannon of Long Island that Albany is authorizing additional funds for the prevention and study of concussions acquired in youth sports.

We applaud Sen. Hannon and the others for raising awareness of athletic brain injuries, which are a significant but silent minority of the 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries Americans acquire every year. According to the Brain Injury Resource Center, about 300,000 of those annual brain injuries are sports-related. Fortunately, most of those are concussions, the mildest type of brain injury. But even mild head injuries shouldn’t be dismissed, because neurological experts say sending an injured player back into the game too soon can expose him or her to serious risk of reinjuring the area, which can happen with even a minor blow, and leaving the field with much more serious brain damage. The problem is compounded by the secret irony of brain injury: even the victims don’t always notice anything wrong at first. For student athletes who are already under pressure to perform and often ordered not to "whine," this can add up to tragedy when they’re sent back onto the field too soon.

Thanks to our work with traumatic brain injury clients, we know head injuries cause a host of very serious symptoms, including mental impairment, problems with speech and memory, problems with movement, seizures, even personality changes. This is very expensive to treat -- and to live with -- which is why we’re proud of having won millions for clients with serious head injuries caused by someone else's negligence. But it's nice to see that our cultural leaders are taking the issue of sports-related brain trauma seriously.