Sacramento Brain Injury Lawyer Blog

In today's world people can suffer a personal injury in many different cases. An injury which seems to be growing rapidly both in Sacramento and throughout the US is Spinal Cord Injury. You can severely injure your spine from a car accident, falling, sports, violence, and many other ways.

According to the Spinal Cord Injury Facts And Statistics:

# SCI injuries are most commonly caused by:

* Vehicular accidents 37%
* Violence 28%
* Falls 21%
* Sports-related 6%
* Other 8%

Spinal Cord Injuries can lead to Paraplegia or Quadriplegia. Paraplegia is when you loose feeling and movement in both your legs. Quadriplegia is when you lose feeling and movement in all four limbs (Legs and arms). Generally, treatment for persons with Quadriplegia costs almost triple the cost of treatment for persons with Paraplegia.

" * Length of initial hospitalization following injury in acute care units: 15 days

* Average stay in rehabilitation unit: 44 days

* Initial hospitalization costs following injury: $140,000

* Average first year expenses for a SCI injury (all groups): $198,000

* First year expenses for paraplegics: $152,000

* First year expenses for quadriplegics: $417,000

* Average lifetime costs for paraplegics, age of injury 25: $428,000

* Average lifetime costs for quadriplegics, age of injury 25: $1.35 million

* Percentage of SCI individuals who are covered by private health insurance at time of injury 52%

* Percentage of SCI individuals unemployed eight years after injury 63%. (Note: unemployment rate when this article was written was 4.7%)"

These firgures are national averages. The medical costs in Sacramento and throughout California are higher.

Here at the Law Office of Moseley Collins we have dealt with numerous Spinal Cord Injury cases. Moseley Collins has been a practicing personal injury lawyer in San Jose, Salinas, and Sacramento California for over 28 years and he believes that if you have been wrongfully injured and are now suffering from a spinal cord injury you should retain an experienced lawyer immediately. It is obvious that suffering from Spinal Cord Injuries results to large medical bills. Obtaining a personal injury attorney will help you recover the money you need and deserve.

if you would like to read more facts and statistics on Spinal Cord injury please CLICK HERE

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I have a bouncing, beautiful baby boy. He is two years old, has long curly blond hair and a smile that won’t quit. He also has Cerebral Palsy.

According to Webmd.com, Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of motor problems and physical disorders related to a brain injury. The charitable organization March of Dimes estimates that approximately 2-3 children of every 1,000 born in the U.S. develop Cerebral Palsy. Around 800,000 people in the U.S. are currently diagnosed with CP. Most who suffer with CP are born with it, as was the case with my son.

However, some children can acquire CP after birth due to a traumatic brain injury. Car crashes are a leading cause of this type of Cerebral Palsy. As a paralegal for a Sacramento personal injury attorney I have seen a number of children badly injured because of a traumatic car collision. If someone else is at fault such a child has a claim for personal injury. If, God forbid, your child, or another child you know, is ever severely injured in an automobile accident with a brain injury or head trauma, ask the doctor to look for signs of the development of CP. The symptoms to watch for, per the Web site Webmd.com, are discussed below.

These babies and young children may retain newborn reflexes and fail to reach age-appropriate developmental milestones. Parents and caregivers usually are the first to notice that a baby has developmental delays that may be early signs of CP.
When CP is severe, signs are often noticed at birth or shortly thereafter. However, some early signs of severe CP vary according to the specific type of CP present.
Common signs of severe CP that may be noticed shortly after birth include:
• Problems sucking and swallowing.
• A weak or shrill cry.
• Unusual positions. Often the body is either very relaxed and floppy or very stiff. When held, babies may arch their backs and extend their arms and legs. These postures are different from and more extreme than those that sometimes occur in babies with colic.
Some problems related to CP become more evident over time or develop as a child grows. These may include:
• Smaller muscles in affected arms or legs. Nervous system problems prevent movement in affected arms and legs. Inactivity affects muscle growth.
• Abnormal sensations and perceptions. Some people with CP feel pain when touched lightly. Even everyday activities, such as brushing teeth, may hurt. Abnormal sensations can also make it difficult to identify common objects by touch, such as feeling the difference between a soft foam ball and a hard baseball.
• Skin irritation. Drooling is common when facial and throat muscles are affected. Drooling irritates the skin, particularly around the mouth, chin, and chest.
• Dental problems. Children who have difficulty brushing their teeth have increased risk of developing cavities and gum disease (gingivitis). Seizure medications may also contribute toward developing gum disease.
• Accidents. Falls and other accidents are a risk, depending on muscle control, joint stiffness, and general physical strength. In addition, CP-related seizures can cause accidental injuries.
• Infections and long-term illnesses. Severe CP causes problems with eating. If food is inhaled into the lungs, a child's risk of developing pneumonia increases. Adults are at a higher risk for heart and lung disease.
Some children with CP often also display a group of behavioral symptoms, such as excessive sleepiness, irritability, and little interest in their environment.

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Fourteen year old Jerry Pham from Milpitas, just south from the capital Sacramento, California, is now suffering from serious brain injuries after being underwater for several minutes before anyone saved him from drowning in a pool.

On October 12th Milpitas high School's Physical Education teacher Kristina Edwards had a mandatory swimming unit day. Edwards didn't take in account that Jerry Pham was filed as a "non-swimmer" when he entered the pool for the class.

according to http://www.themilpitaspost.com:

"Edwards was socializing with students about clothing styles that were popular in the 1980s. Meanwhile Pham began to drown. Students began to notice something at the bottom of the pool, some believing that they saw clothing, according to the claim. When Edwards noticed the commotion and realized Pham was laying at the bottom of the pool, she ordered everyone out of the pool, but did not dive in to rescue her drowning student."

Edwards called for campus security but not 911, and once security arrived Edwards was no where to be seen and had fled the scene. Now the School and Mrs. Edwards are being sued for negligence in several regards. The School should not have appointed Edwards to do swimming activities if she was not trained in that area. They also should of had some type of device, such as a pole with a large hook on the end, to pull him up. If they could have saved him from nearly drowning he probably would not be suffering from brain injury or any sort of personal injury for that matter.

Remember, water is dangerous, especially if you cannot swim well.

These type of accidents can be prevented, but when they're not there are serious consequences. This young man will now have to live with these personal injuries for the remainder of his life. He will have to pay medical bills, and may never be able to earn a living. But obtaining a lawyer could help him pay off the medical bills and give him a reasonable sum with which to start his life over.

Here at the offices of Moseley Collins we believe that you have the right to an experienced Attorney who will fight for the money you deserve.

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Posted In: Brain Injury

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