I always preach about the importance of wearing a bike helmet to avoid head injury, and here is yet another example out of the UK.  Helmets work, and on young kids they are especially important since kids are more likely to wreck their bike than an older, more skilled rider.  Make it a rule in your house if you have young children.  No helmet, no riding.  Period.  For the entire article, follow this link:   http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/4458265.Cycle_helmet_prevents_serious_injuries/

As a brain injury lawyer, I often wonder about the best ways for me to contribute my support in the early stages of being retained by the client or their family member.  At that early stage, the primary goal of the client is to recover, and the legal tasks are voluminous and time consuming.  In addition to those tasks, such as investigating the accident, talking to witnesses, and educating myself about the specific injuries suffered by the client, I find myself wanting to support the family in other ways.  Simply listening to their frustrations, offering resources of which I am aware because of my experience with brain injuries, and simply letting them know that there is a recovery to be had, are some of the most important things I can do.  family members and friends need to know that a brain injury is complex, and often hard to come to grips with, because many times there is no obvious injury on the outside, even though there are substantial differences on the inside.  The brain injured person can act completely inconsistently with their personality that existed before the wreck.  Experts will tell you that spouses of a brain injured person must become used to the idea that the person they married is not the same person they are married to now, and there can be significant differences pre- and post-injury.  Ultimately, however, these differences can be overcome with the proper support systems, the proper medical treatment, and the proper understanding.

Studies consistently show that over half of brain injured persons suffer from chronic depression. Cognitive and physical deficits are common results of brain injury, and those deficits cause loss of self-esteem, inability to enjoy life, and inability to effectively relate to others. Depression also impacts the individual’s ability to recover from the brain injury, or to effectively manage their lives even after they have recovered from the physical limitations imposed by a TBI. Please be aware that the depressive symptoms can warrant treatment as well, and the fact that such symptoms are intertwined with the physiological aspects of the brain injury demand that a neuro-psychiatrist or similar physician trained in TBI issues will be critical to recovery. For a more detailed article on TBI and depression, follow this link:  

http://www.biausa.org/elements/BIAM/2004/depression.pdf

I read with great interest a recent article describing some of the issues that can come about when a seemingly minor head injury turns deadly.  This issue really became a focus of national attention after actress Natasha Richardson suffered a skiing accident on a beginner slope and died, leading the media to adopt the phrase “Talk and Die Syndrome”.  I still worry about these situations, especially when they involve children because so many parents, me included, do not ever want to think that a bump on the head can turn serious.  However, it remains our job to stay vigilant and investigate any bump on the head as potentially being more serious than it appears.   I personally take the view that it is better to overreact to a possible head injury and make what may be an unnecessary trip to the ER, rather than to minimize it and risk a nightmarish outcome.  To view the entire article, follow this link:

http://www.gantdaily.com/news/43/ARTICLE/54739/2009-06-21.html

I was hanging out at the pool this weekend, enjoying my Father’s Day outing with my six year old son, I watched him playing with his friends on a raft in the pool, and became concerned when they were too near the edge of the pool with a bunch of kids at once on the raft. While some may accuse me of being an overly paranoid parent, I could not help but think of what would happen if the raft were to turn over and one of the kids strike the side of their head on the concrete edge of the pool. The temporal area of the skull and brain is one of the most vulnerable to head injury, and that is the area of the head likely to hit the pool edge in that scenario. Please stay safe with your kids this summer, and do everything you can to minimize head injury.

A recent international conference concluded that younger brains need restrictions on mental activity as well as physical activity to recover from concussion.  The fact that teen brains are not fully developed may affect how quickly they recover.  New protocols for concussion recovery stress “cognitive rest” that includes limits on schoolwork video games, and other mental activities.  The traumatic brain injury lawyers at HensonFuerst want parents to recognize the effects concussions can have and be properly armed to deal with the aftereffects.  To more information on the protocols, click on this link to learn more:

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/lifetimes/article/697023

Injury Lawyer Carma Henson remains concerned about the serious risk that fatigued tractor trailer drivers pose to our highways.  “Almost every tractor trailer accident I have ever handled has resulted in some level of brain injury to the victim,” Henson says. “The amount of force involved in a tractor trailer collision is immense, and it stands to reason that the occupants of the car will be thrown around violently, resulting in some degree of head injury.”  One of the biggest causes of driver fatigue is sleep apnea, and sleep scientists at Harvard University are calling for mandatory federal rules that would increase screening procedures for at-risk tractor trailer drivers.    To learn more, follow this link to Jonel Aleccia’s article for MSNBC on this issue:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31066019

Henson Fuerst Partner Bob Fuerst strongly disagrees with comments made recently by a National Hockey League General manager.  Lately, the NHL Players’ Association has been requesting a rule that would ban blows to the head. So far, that request has been met with resistance from the 30 general managers — many of whom were longtime players in the league.  Toronto GM  Brian Burke is quoted as saying Tuesday that he isn’t concerned about negative public reaction that could come from Tuesday’s decision not to further protect players by adding a new rule governing hits.  “I’m not running for office here, Burke said.  “ I don’t care if people agree with what I say . . . . Hitting is a critical part of our game, it’s distinctive to North American hockey. “  Henson believes that if causing brain injury is “distinctive to American hockey” then the distinction needs to be erased.  Henson strongly believes that opposing a rule that will reduce the potential for brain injury, one of the most pervasive health threats in American sports and hockey in particular, is not only irresponsible but can only be attributed to someone putting profits over the safety of their players.  In addition, it sends the wrong message to young players across the country.  “I see kids all the time who have suffered significant and permanent brain injuries, and it is heartbreaking,” Henson said.  “These injuries can and should be prevented whenever possible.” 

To learn more about the NHL and the various positions of the players and managers on head injury, follow this link to an article by Ira Podell with the Associated Press:  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwsLeserHBWun1gdTS1RpVkxPKVgD98IRAR80

Firm Partner Thomas Henson remains concerned about frequent brain injuries that result from Shaken Baby Syndrome . “The primary cause of Shaken Baby Syndrome is prolonged crying by the child,” said Henson. “I support all efforts we can make to educate parents about how to properly deal with an infant that won’t stop crying. New parents often feel powerless and frustrated in these situations, and simply need help. My goal is to eliminate these tragic brain injuries, so if any parent is interested in learning more about how to properly deal with a child that, because of colic of other causes, is inconsolable, please consult with a pediatrician or other health care worker to learn more about these issues.”

The Brain Injury Research Center at UCLA will begin studying ways to help heal a person’s brain immediately upon their arrival to an emergency room after experiencing a traumatic brain injury.  Previously it has been thought that glucose levels needed to be tightly controlled in that situation, but new evidence suggests that the patient may be better off receiving higher levels of glucose and other compounds in order to improve recovery.  To learn more about this fascinating new approach, please follow this link to the UCLA Newsroom:  http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/could-conventional-treatment-for-93476.aspx