Brain Damage Injury Settlements in Illinois

Tenacious advocacy for victims of traumatic brain injuries – Illinois Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most devastating consequences of a severe car accident. Brain trauma related to the collision can have devastating results and cause permanent impairment of cognitive functioning, loss of mobility, inability to communicate and permanent disability. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of traumatic brain injury in people under 75 and the chief cause of long-term disability among children, adolescents and young adults according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC for its acronym in English).

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in a traffic accident, the personal injury lawyers of our experienced claimants at Stein & Shulman, LLC have more than 45 years of combined experience in insurance companies and their insured. We represent our clients with tenacity and diligence, which has allowed us to recover more than $ 40 million dollars for victims of personal injuries.

Traumatic brain injuries affect the lives of many car accident victims

There is an estimated two million people nationwide who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year with 14.3 percent caused by traffic accidents. These injuries are often very severe and result in fifty thousand TBI deaths. More than 80,000 additional victims of TBI suffer some type of severe and prolonged cognitive impairment or disability. These statistics significantly underestimate the extent of the problem, since only victims of car accidents treated in a hospital are reflected in these numbers. This fact means that these statistics do not include patients who seek medical attention from their doctor in their office, or those who are taken to an emergency room for treatment without hospital admission.

How vehicle occupants suffer brain damage in traffic accidents

Brain injuries sustained in automobile accidents can occur in a variety of ways. These severe debilitating injuries can occur when the head of a vehicle occupant suffers a forceful impact with the dashboard or windshield of a motor vehicle. A different cause of brain trauma from a car accident involves a sudden jolt when the head is thrown forward and then suddenly stops. The force of the impact can cause the head of an occupant of the vehicle to continue forward so that the brain impacts the hard interior part of the skull. This whiplash injury is known as a closed head injury because brain trauma occurs inside the skull.

Types of brain injuries that cause impairment of cognitive functioning

Because the brain has a soft gelatin consistency, it is extremely vulnerable to trauma during a collision when it affects the skull, which is hard and inflexible. During impact force during a car accident, the brain does not travel at the same speed as the skull due to the disparity in its weight. Because the skull and brain move at different speeds during a collision, the brain can suffer direct injuries due to severe contusions, brain swelling, and axonal cuts.

Diffuse axonal cutting occurs when the brain is propelled back and forth within the skull, resulting in first being squeezed or compressed and then stretched due to the soft gelatinous nature of the brain. Fragile axons of neurons also undergo this compression and stretching process. If the force of the accident is hard enough, the axons can be stretched to the point of tearing. This is known as axonal cutting and can cause the death of neurons.

Brain injuries affect the central nervous system and can result in anything from mild migraines to paralysis or death. If you or a loved one sustained any form of brain trauma in an auto accident, regardless of how minor you consider the injury, you should seek prompt evaluation and treatment from a medical professional. If another party caused the automobile accident, you should also seek the quick legal advice of an experienced Chicago car accident brain trauma lawyer so that you can pursue full financial recovery for your injuries.

Talk to a Stein Shulman, LLC Today

Experienced Chicago auto accident attorneys at Stein & Shulman, LLC understand the potentially life-altering consequences of a car collision that results in a brain injury. Our law firm offers you a great experience and a proven track record of obtaining substantial verdicts and agreements for our clients. We invite you to contact us today at 312.422.0500 or send us an email to schedule a free case evaluation.