ClickCease Causes Of Brain Injury

Causes Of Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when any outside force impacts the head with enough force to cause the brain to move within the skull or when the force fractures the skull and causes direct trauma to the brain.

Any rapid acceleration or deceleration of the head can cause the brain to move back and forth, producing bruising, swelling, axonal shearing and closed head injury. The stress from rapid movement of the head can pull apart nerve fibers in the brain and actually cause physical damage to brain tissue.

The San Francisco law firm of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger has a full-time physician-lawyer on staff — we understand the anatomy of brain and spinal injuries. We work with brain- and spine-injured clients every day. In addition to clients who sustain trauma, we represent clients who sustain brain injuries as the result of interrupted blood flow to the brain or compromised oxygenation of blood flowing to the brain, whether from undiagnosed strokes, aneurysms or birth injuries.

Over the past 50 years, our TBI attorneys have handled brain injury claims involving:

  • Car accidents and semi-truck crashes
  • Defective seat belts and air bags
  • Automobile rollover accidents
  • Diving injuries
  • Bicycle crashes
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Construction accidents, which may involve falling debris
  • Falls, such as down stairs, from ladders or while walking
  • Near-drowning
  • Accidents involving defective safety or personal protection products, such as helmets that do not protect a person’s head in an accident
  • Medical malpractice, including failure to recognize fetal distress or failure to diagnose heart attack, stroke or other conditions
  • Untreated or improperly treated medical conditions, such as hydrocephalus, increased intracranial pressure, brain stem herniation, meningitis or seizure disorders
  • Accidents involving choking or airway obstruction

The brain is complex in its anatomy and functions. Many types of injuries and accidents can result in brain damage, whether mild, moderate or severe, and we approach each case with this understanding.

Other Causes Of Brain Injury

In the field of obstetrical negligence, we have represented families that endured the tragedy of mismanaged labor and delivery that resulted in harm to their newborns.

These cases include those where cesarean sections were not performed early enough, resulting in anoxic or hypoxic brain damage in the infant. We have represented parents whose children should have been born without any disability, but instead are afflicted with cerebral palsy because an attending physician, nurse or midwife failed to monitor changes in fetal heart rates.

Our California TBI attorneys have also represented clients who sustained head injuries that were not timely diagnosed. What should have been a small and manageable problem was allowed to escalate into significant cerebral swelling with brain stem compression and secondary injury.

Unlike traumatic brain injuries, acquired brain injuries may result from a change in neuronal activity, metabolic activity or functional ability. Similar to traumatic brain injury, an acquired brain injury can produce mild, moderate or severe impairment in one or more areas, including cognition, speech-language communication, memory, attention and concentration, reasoning, abstract thinking, physical function, psychosocial behavior, and information processing.

Whatever the cause, type or severity of a traumatic brain injury, a brain injury lawyer at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger can help. Contact the Walkup law firm and our experienced attorneys will evaluate your situation, explain your options and help you obtain the compensation you need.

Bay Area Brain Damage Lawyers

A traumatic brain injury changes the life of the victim forever, as well as the lives of those who are close to him or her. Most brain injuries are caused by head trauma or oxygen deprivation, both of which are often caused by the negligence, error or wrongful actions of another person or entity.

At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our California brain injury lawyers have the skill, knowledge and experience to prevail on behalf of TBI victims against major corporations, government entities, pharmaceutical giants, insurance companies, medical institutions and other liable parties.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, call our firm to discuss your legal options. For a free consultation to discuss your case, call us at (415) 981-7210 or contact the Walkup firm online.