I first became interested in this line of legal work when I was two years out of law school and my first brain injury client came to me for help.  It was then that I realized that he was just like me – young, interested in finding a wife and starting a family, owned his own business, and in an instant it was all taken away by a significant traumatic brain injury (TBI).  I realized that none of us were immune.

Fortunately, we obtained a significant recovery for him in his lawsuit, and it became obvious to me that when lawyers like myself did our job well for TBI clients, we could make a substantial difference in their quality of life.

Thomas Henson, Jr., partner at HensonFuerst Attorneys

Even scientists are still learning about the recovery process and timeline after a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), so it’s no wonder that many of our clients are confused.

The one thing we know for certain is that it is important for the TBI patient to be evaluated by a qualified neuropsychiatrist, physiatrist, and neuropsychologist. Experts in those disciplines can run tests and evaluations to determine which areas of brain functioning need to be rehabbed, and the best way to go about achieving the greatest amount of recovery. And it is best to have this evaluation done within the first 2 to 6 months after the injury. (These are general guidelines. Because each injury and each individual has different needs, follow the instructions of the doctor overseeing your case.)

That timeline comes from two observations:  The first 2 months are a time for the body to heal, and many patients are unable to complete the evaluation process before then. And researchers note that the fastest recovery of cognitive function happens within the first 6 months after the injury. The scientific rule-of-thumb is that about 85% of recovery occurs within this timeframe. However, the story doesn’t end there….

It has only been a few years since science has confirmed that the brain is “plastic,” that is, that new neuronal connections can be formed. This process takes time, certainly longer than 6 months. In fact, some experts are questioning whether the 6-month timeframe is accurate. They say that because TBI patients are followed and tested most closely for the first 6 months, and many of them discharged from active medical care, any recovery that occurs beyond that cut-off date may be missed.

The lesson of the week is that there is always reason to hope, and that individuals react differently. Still, it’s important to having testing done early in recovery so that you have benchmarks about where how the brain is currently functioning, and so you know exactly what type of rehab could be most effective.

For more information about brain injury topics, visit our website at http://www.lawmed.com/. If you have questions, HensonFuerst has answer.

According to the article, the bullet traveled through the left side of Rep. Giffords’ brain. But, her doctors also pointed out that:

…the damage is not done just by the bullet passing through the brain but also by the shock wave or “cavitation effect” that damages the brain tissue around the bullet track.

People with brain injuries can face numerous disabilities, some quite unexpected. There are three categories of potential problems:

1. Physical Impairments, including seizures, paralysis, loss of feeling, problems with speech or swallowing, and fatigue.
2. Cognitive Disturbances, or problems with thinking. These include difficulty with memory, attention, concentration, planning, judgment, learning new things, and communication.
3. Behavioral Disturbances, or personality changes. Common behavioral issues include irritability, depression, verbal or physical outbursts. Perhaps the most difficult to deal with is something called “inappropriate behavior,” which is like losing your social censor—the person does or says whatever comes to mind, without any thought of consequences.

This brief overview is just a slice of what Rep. Giffords will face. Her recovery will be long and unpredictable. After she leaves the acute care hospital, she’ll be transferred to a rehabilitation facility where she will learn to take back her life. As Dr. Senelick says:

… [it is] difficult to predict Representative Giffords’ future…. I am frequently gratified by the impressive recoveries that many patients make after extensive rehabilitation efforts.

Like the rest of the world, all of us at HensonFuerst Attorneys send our best wishes to all the Arizona shooting victims and their families, and condolences to the families of those who died. It was a senseless act that stunned the rational world. There are no words… only prayers.

To read the full article, click here: What Will Gabrielle Giffords’ Recovery Look Like, by Richard C. Senelick, M.D.

The first study, “Youth Motorcycle-Related Hospitalizations and Traumatic Brain Injuries in the United States in 2006,” showed that the number of motorcycle deaths and injuries are increasing for children and young adults. Between 1999 and 2006, there was an 88% increase in motorcycle-related deaths. Among young motorcycle riders who are in a crash, one-third sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Those with TBI were more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility (instead of home), and 24% had long-term TBI-related disability.

The second study, “Youth Motorcycle-Related Brain Injury by State Helmet Law Type: United States, 2005-2007,” examined how differing helmet laws affect rates of brain injury and death among motorcycle riders ages 12 to 20. The researchers found something unexpected: States that have a youth-specific helmet law have an increased risk of  TBI that required hospitalization, disability, and death. States with a specific <21 law have 38% higher rates of serious TBI than states with universal helmet laws.

What might account for this counterintuitive finding? Perhaps universal helmet laws make adults more likely to remember their child’s helmet when they put on their own. Or it may be that adults who regularly use helmets themselves pay more attention to other aspects of safety while driving a motorcycle. The study just examined the numbers…it didn’t provide answers. However, the study’s authors declare:

Advocates for repealing universal helmet laws often assert that this retains their desire for choice while protecting young adults. This assertion is dubious; with consistent evidence of increased death and serious injury to young adults and minors who are supposed to be protected.

We agree. We have seen first-hand the devastation of traumatic brain injury caused by crashes involving motorcycles. We represent people who have had their lives destroyed by motorcycle wrecks. There is no good reason to subject a young person to risks they cannot control, and which carry such a potentially high price tag.

To read the full studies, click on the titles below:

“Youth Motorcycle-Related Hospitalizations and Traumatic Brain Injuries in the United States in 2006″ [Weiss, et al. Pediatrics, November 15, 2010]

“Youth Motorcycle-Related Brain Injury by State Helmet Law Type: United States, 2005-2007″ [Weiss, et al. Pediatrics, November 15, 2010]

To read more about traumatic brain injury and/or motorcycle wrecks, see our dedicated pages at www.lawmed.com. If you have questions, HensonFuerst has answers.

The non-profit Horsepower Therapeutic Learning Center calls on different aspects of horsemanship to develop athleticism, memory, balance, and speech among people who lost some of that function.

“There’s three different stations,” said Jan Clifford, executive director and founder of Horsepower, Inc. “They’re working on the farrier, who provides the footwear for the horses. They have a riding segment where they actually ride the horses and work on balance and speech. Then they have a section where they go in and work on memory and recall, working on different things that horses and equestrian activities do.” (from the News14 story)

The news piece tells the story of Brandy Gilliam who was hit by a car 11 years ago. She spent 3 months in a coma, and another year in the hospital. She has participated in the Horsepower program for three years, and has experienced significant improvements in her posture, walking, and speaking abilities.

This amazing program provides help to more than 250 people every year. There is no cost to the participants, thanks to a grant from the Winston-Salem Foundation.

To read or watch the full news story, click here: News14 Carolina.

To read more about Horsepower, visit their website here: www.horsepower.org

For more information about the Winston-Salem Foundation, click here: Winston-Salem Foundation

And if you have legal questions about traumatic brain injury, visit our website here: HensonFuerst Law (www.lawmed.com)

People who sustain a head injury sometimes end up with a vision problem called “vertical heterophoria syndrome,” or VHS, in which the eyes go out of alignment with each other.  This causes many different symptoms related to eye strain, sense of balance, and the ability to see straight. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches, light sensitivity, double vision, difficulty ready, motion sickness, poor coordination, drifting while walking, lightheadedness, nausea, etc.  These symptoms can greatly reduce quality of life, and can be a challenge for doctors to treat successfully.

The Michigan researchers discovered that when people with VHS were fitted with special glasses that realigned the images so that they appeared in line again, symptoms were reduced by more than 70 percent. (April 2010 issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)

“Treatment [of traumatic brain injury] involves a multifaceted approach, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and multiple medications, and can take years to complete,” says Jennifer E. Doble, M.D., a physiatrist at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor.  ”Prismatic lens treatment seems to allow the other therapies to be effective more quickly. And as a result, patients get better quicker, reducing the time and cost of caring for this patient population.” (press release, PR Newswire)

We can get behind anything that helps brain injured people get better faster!

The attorneys of HensonFuerst remain committed to helping people with brain injury. We’ll keep you informed of other medical breakthroughs on our HensonFuerst brain injury webpage.

“Nearly 30,000 veterans have suffered some kind of traumatic brain injury in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – an estimated 2,000 of them severe enough to put warriors into comas or leave them with severe disabilities. Yet eight years into the wars, testimony before Congress shows veterans still suffer yawning gaps in coverage for what has become the conflicts’ signature wound.”   (News & Observer, 5/23/2010)

“…part of Pittman’s brain has gone dormant, and on most days, he can’t think straight. He leaves the room and forgets what he was searching for. He gets migraines so piercing that his right eye wanders. Anger comes easily, inspiring rages that sometimes have his wife terrified for herself and the couple’s 3-year-old daughter.”

There are two loops–100K and 50K. The ride is fully supported, with multiple pit stops and a sag wagon. Registration is $15 in advance, $20 day-of. Tee shirts are available for $10. Join the HensonFuerst bike team–we’re 30 strong and growing! (Call us, or email ThomasHenson@lawmed.com)

For more information, or to donate to the ride, visit the sites for the Brain Injury Association of NC or the Capital Cycling Club.

2010 “Ride for the Rock” Poster

How the Ride Began

On July 31, 2005, Mark “the Rock” Ornitz sustained a life-changing brain injury during a group ride when he crashed head first into a telephone pole while trying to avoid a rider who had fallen.

The severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) stopped just short of killing him, but has left him (and his family) with a long and arduous journey of rehabilitation for his ongoing deficits, including intractable pain in his paralyzed right arm and 24-hour medical supervision.

Mark’s family is overwhelmed–physically and financially–and they have been astonished to discover that there is a lack of appropriate resources in North Carolina to help families and patients deal with this type of ordeal. His family wonders what will happen to “the Rock” when they are no longer able to take care of him.

They are not alone in this circumstance.  More than 180,000 North Carolinians suffer from brain injury—this is 5 times greater than the cases of multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, AIDS, and breast cancer combined! Yet in North Carolina, Medicaid does not help people with head injuries if they are older than 22. Nor are there affordable residential facilities that understand how to care for brain injured residents.

Mark’s teammates at The Capital Cycling Club (www.capcycling.org) honor him by keeping his name on their team roster. In addition, they have partnered with the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (www.bianc.net) to conduct the Ride for the Rock to raise awareness of TBI, promote safety among cyclists, and raise funds. Their mission is to offer help, hope, and a voice to people with brain injury and their families.

There are two loops–100K and 50K. The ride is fully supported, with multiple pit stops and a sag wagon. Registration is $15 in advance, $20 day-of. Tee shirts are available for $10. Join the HensonFuerst bike team–we’re 30 strong and growing! (Call us, or email ThomasHenson@lawmed.com)

For more information, or to donate to the ride, visit the sites for the Brain Injury Association of NC or the Capital Cycling Club.

2010 “Ride for the Rock” Poster

How the Ride Began

On July 31, 2005, Mark “the Rock” Ornitz sustained a life-changing brain injury during a group ride when he crashed head first into a telephone pole while trying to avoid a rider who had fallen.

The severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) stopped just short of killing him, but has left him (and his family) with a long and arduous journey of rehabilitation for his ongoing deficits, including intractable pain in his paralyzed right arm and 24-hour medical supervision.

Mark’s family is overwhelmed–physically and financially–and they have been astonished to discover that there is a lack of appropriate resources in North Carolina to help families and patients deal with this type of ordeal. His family wonders what will happen to “the Rock” when they are no longer able to take care of him.

They are not alone in this circumstance.  More than 180,000 North Carolinians suffer from brain injury—this is 5 times greater than the cases of multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, AIDS, and breast cancer combined! Yet in North Carolina, Medicaid does not help people with head injuries if they are older than 22. Nor are there affordable residential facilities that understand how to care for brain injured residents.

Mark’s teammates at The Capital Cycling Club (www.capcycling.org) honor him by keeping his name on their team roster. In addition, they have partnered with the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (www.bianc.net) to conduct the Ride for the Rock to raise awareness of TBI, promote safety among cyclists, and raise funds. Their mission is to offer help, hope, and a voice to people with brain injury and their families.