Georgia Injury Law Blog

Atlanta personal injury lawyers have been encouraged to note the increasing focus on mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions in student athletes. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention may soon develop guidelines to be used for the treatment of student-athletes with concussions. A number of lawsuits have arisen out of personal injuries and wrongful deaths which occur during a sports event or in practice. Our firm is currently involved in one such case. Unfortunately, contact sports, while entertaining to watch, can be life changing for the athletes.

According to New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Bill Pascrell, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention has agreed to develop nationwide guidelines to be used for the management of sports-related concussions in student-athletes. Both of these lawmakers had sponsored a bill that would have made adoption of such protocols mandatory for all states. However, that bill has stalled in the Senate. 

Some states have adopted guidelines to be followed by schools, coaches and other interested parties, whenever students suffer from concussions during play. However, there are no national standards in place, and considering the kind of effects from repeated concussions that we're seeing now in professional football players, it is extremely urgent that we develop suitable guidelines to manage such concussions in student-athletes too.

Concussions are mild brain injuries that are caused by any impact to the head that causes the head to shake violently. For a long time, concussions were not treated with the seriousness that they deserved, and were considered minor injuries. Student athletes, especially those who play football, are subjected to multiple concussions during play, and for several years, these injuries were treated with minimal concern. Students in several schools are still expected to continue playing after they suffer concussions.

Posted By Robert Katz In Brain Injury | 0 Comments Permalink

It’s one of the biggest pieces of advice that Atlanta bicycle accident attorneys would give to any bicyclist - always wear a helmet while riding. Lack of a bicycle helmet substantially increases a cyclist’s chance of a brain injury in a car accident. Unfortunately, we often see bicyclists on Atlanta streets riding without the most basic protection gear to protect against injuries in an accident. We have always wondered why a bicyclist, who is one of the most vulnerable people on the road, would leave himself or herself so open to the risk of injuries. A poll by the British Medical Journal answers some of our questions.

The poll results have been published in the British Medical Journal Blog, and show that the majority of people prefer not to have mandatory bicycle helmet laws because they discourage bicyclists. According to respondents, people should be encouraged to ride bicycles, and mandatory bicycle helmet laws do the opposite. They discourage people from taking to what is essentially a very healthy activity.

68% of the respondents in the poll were against mandatory bicycle helmet laws. Not only do they believe that this would discourage bicycling, but they also felt that there wasn't enough evidence to show that wearing a bicycle helmet significantly protects a bicyclist from injury during an accident. They believe that bicyclists believe that mandatory bicycle helmets would discourage female bicyclists, typically some of the least likely to take to cycling.. Additionally, mandating bicycle helmets for all would discourage bicycling in many people who'd otherwise be able to enjoy a cheap and affordable means of transportation. Overall, most of the respondents in the survey believe that mandatory bicycle helmet laws do not reduce bicycle accident-related injuries, but reduce bicyclist numbers. Some respondents even believe that mandatory bicycle helmet laws give the wrong impression that biking is a dangerous activity.

As Atlanta bicycle accident attorneys, we have some serious problems with the results of this poll. The Bridge Medical Journal does not specify the demographics of the people who were polled as part of the study. However, we hope that bicyclists in Atlanta have more sense than this. To say that bicycling is not a dangerous activity at all would be foolhardy. The fact is that most of Atlanta’s streets are designed for the convenience and safety of motorists, and bicyclists constantly face the threat of death and injuries in accidents. In any accident involving a bicycle and an automobile, it is the person riding a bicycle with a much higher risk of suffering serious or even fatal injuries. 

Posted By Robert Katz In Auto Accident Claims , Bicycle Injury Claims , Brain Injury | 0 Comments Permalink

Motorcyclists wearing helmets may be at risk of hearing loss, not from the loud noise of their motorcycle engine, but from the sound of the wind cutting through the helmet. A new study  indicates the need for greater research to produce safer helmets that don't have any health effects. If there is truly a risk to a motorcyclist's hearing, this would indicate a higher risk of motorcycle accidents due to the inability of the rider to hear approaching vehicles and horns. It would be helpful if a study was performed to determine if there was an increase in the number of accidents, injuries and wrongful deaths among riders with a hearing loss.

According to research by scientists at the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, wind can escape from just underneath the helmet, and can damage the eardrums. This sound can be strong enough to cause hearing loss. The study titled Aeroacoustic Sources of Motorcycle Helmet Noise finds that motorcyclists who wear helmets may be a risk of suffering hearing loss even when they ride at safe speeds.

The scientists in the study used mannequins, and re-created the levels of noise that a motorcyclist is exposed to while riding. They found one particular spot under the helmet which allows sound to travel to the eardrums. The researchers are calling for more studies into the differences in how motorcyclists perceive sound, in order to better understand what's going on here. 

In the meantime, they recommend protecting your hearing while wearing a helmet by using earplugs. Earplugs have long been found to be to be an effective way of protecting the ears from damage. Earplugs can help block out much of the noise that attacks eardrums, but allows motorcyclists to continue to hear important sounds, like traffic noise. Earplugs have been popular among motorcyclists for a while now, but are likely to become even more popular now that the study shows a high risk of hearing loss from helmets.

Atlanta motorcycle accident attorneys would definitely not recommend avoiding motorcycle helmet use just because of the findings of the study. While we respect the opinions of persons who do not like wearing helmets, the benefits of wearing a motorcycle helmet are greater than any risks of suffering hearing loss from helmet use. The helmet is the most basic protection that a motorcyclist has, protecting him from fatal or serious traumatic brain injury in an accident. 

Posted By Robert Katz In Brain Injury , Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

A new study  points to an increased risk of suffering a stroke after a traumatic brain injury. The study found that persons who had suffered a brain injury have a ten-times higher risk of suffering a stroke during the first three months after injury. This means that anyone involved in a car accident, construction accident or any other trauma that results in a traumatic brain injury has a much higher likelihood of suffering a stroke.

The results of the study have been published in the online issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, and confirms that a traumatic brain injury can increase the risk of suffering a stroke over five years. The researchers based their results on an analysis of data of about 23,000 patients from a Taiwanese database. All these persons had suffered a traumatic brain injury. These people were then compared to people with no history of brain injury. The researchers monitored their susceptibility to stoke over a period of 5 years.

The increase is the most dramatic during the first three months after the TBI. After one year, the stroke risk went down substantially, but it was still at least 4.6 times higher than among people who did not have a traumatic brain injury. After five years, the stroke risk was 2.3 times higher than among patients with no brain injury. 

This is the first study that specifically links brain injury to a higher risk of stroke. Other studies in the past have indicated to Atlanta personal injury lawyers that a traumatic brain injury can increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Other studies have shown an association between brain injury and dementia and epilepsy.

Posted By Robert Katz In Brain Injury | 0 Comments Permalink

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is coming down hard on manufacturers of novelty helmets that do not protect motorcyclists. These novelty motorcycle helmets are not approved by the Department of Transportation, and do not protect motorcyclists from injuries in a motorcycle accident. As an Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney, I am well aware of many serious injuries arising after accidents in which the driver was wearing a novelty helmet.

Helmets are a motorcyclist’s first line of defense against injuries in an accident. It's important that motorcyclists wear helmets that are approved by the Department of Transportation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will soon require new motorcycle helmets to come with a label that contains the words “DOT FMVSS 218 Certified.”

Novelty helmets have recently become very popular, because of their designs. However, testing has found that these helmets do not meet safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those safety standards are contained in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. These standards cover a number of criteria, including impact absorption and penetration resistance. 

Helmets that are approved by the Department Of Transportation meet the criteria contained in the standards, & come with a label certifying that they are approved by the Department of Transportation. However, manufacturers have been affixing “Department Of Transportation-Approved” labels on these non-approved helmets too. Persons who wear these helmets may have little or no protection in the event of an accident.

Atlanta's motorcyclists will be in more danger of accidents with motorists now that summer is here. While a helmet is highly recommended for its effectiveness in preventing and reducing the severity of traumatic brain injury, it isn't completely foolproof against injuries. Drivers this summer must take care to look out for motorcyclists at all times, especially those in their blind spots. Look out closer for motorcyclists at busy intersections or when you are pulling out of a parking lot.

The Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in motorcycle accidents across Georgia.

Posted By Robert Katz In Brain Injury , Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most devastating injuries that Atlanta auto accident lawyers see. These serious injuries can also be seen as a result of a slip and fall accident when a person sustains impact to the head. What makes these injuries even more devastating is that there is no complete cure for traumatic brain injury. All doctors can do is administer emergency treatment as quickly as possible. A new study indicates that the use of antidepressants can help increase brain cells, thereby helping treat an injury. The researchers believe that if a patient is administered antidepressant therapy right after a traumatic brain injury, in addition to all other kinds of therapies, it could help foster the survival of healthy brain cells after an injury.

The use of antidepressants in the treatment of brain injury is not exactly new. In fact, most patients who suffer from TBI are susceptible to depression, and are often prescribed antidepressants. However, a new study conducted on mice found that injured mice that were given antidepressants had up to 70% more brain cells after four weeks on the antidepressant therapy, compared to those mice with brain injuries who had not been given antidepressants. The mice had been given the antidepressant, imipramine

That’s not all. Researchers also analyzed the performance of the mice during a novel object recognition test, to determine whether the thriving of brain cells in these mice, actually contributed to better cognition skills. Researchers analyzed how much time the mice under the antidepressant therapy spent looking at new or novel objects. Researchers found that the mice that had received the antidepressant therapy spent at least 15% more time looking at the novel objects. This indicates that these mice found the objects to be new, thereby indicating better memory capacity. 

Researchers believe that if the patient is administered antidepressant therapy right after a traumatic brain injury, in addition to all other kinds of therapies, it could help foster the survival of healthy brain cells after an injury.

Posted By Robert Katz In Auto Accident Claims , Brain Injury , Slip and Falls | 0 Comments Permalink

Calls for Brain Injury to Be Defined As Disease

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not just a one-time injury that heals quickly, allowing a person to move on and forget about the injury. Rather, a person with a TBI can suffer several complications over his entire lifetime, depending on the severity of the TBI. A moderate brain injury could increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson's disease, besides placing the person at a higher risk for neuroendocrine disorders and depression. That is the reason why a team of researchers from the University Of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is calling for a redefining of traumatic brain injury as a chronic disease, like diabetes.

According to the researchers, defining brain injury as a disease would allow doctors to frequently monitor patients with TBI for complications or new conditions that might develop in the future. Take diabetes, for instance. Diabetes is considered a chronic disease, and a patient is placed under frequent monitoring, that involves regular testing of his blood sugar levels. The doctors also monitor the patient for other complications that may arise, like kidney disorders. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers are calling for similar scheduled monitoring and tracking of patients with TBI. Currently, this is not done. Instead, patients with TBI often find themselves confused, anxious and with no financial and educational resources to deal with these complications. Defining TBI as a disease would allow these patients to be reimbursed regularly by insurers.

This is undoubtedly an interesting concept, and it will greatly benefit persons with TBI who begin suffering from complications down the road. It will help these persons pay for additional medical expenses as a result of the TBI. Our Atlanta auto accident lawyers could also easily factor in long-term expenses from future complications into any accident or injury claim that involves a brain injury.

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Brain Injury | 0 Comments Permalink

Much of brain injury treatment depends on being treated immediately after the injury, to prevent further damage to injured brain tissue. However very often, doctors fail to diagnose the injury, especially if the injured patient has not lost consciousness. Other times, doctors may be confused about whether the person has suffered a brain injury or is having a stroke of some kind. This delay in diagnosis can severely impact the person's recovery.

The US Department of Defense is investing approximately of $17 million to fund a study that will look into the development of biomarkers to easily diagnose brain injury. Currently, doctors use a blood test to diagnose the presence of a chemical called troponin in the blood, when a person is having a heart attack. Before these tests were developed, a physician only had the visible symptoms of a heart attack to depend on, for his diagnosis. However, with the biomarker test, he can look for protonin to confirm that the person is indeed having a cardiac arrest. The Defense Department study will look at developing something similar for brain injury. Consider this-a physician simply uses a test to diagnose a patient’s brain injury without having to depend on conflicting external symptoms.

There's a reason why the Department of Defense is so eager to have progress on this. Treatment of brain injuries in veterans continues to be a challenge for the military. Tests like these will help army medics diagnose injuries quicker and begin treatment faster.

These tests can also be used to diagnose brain injury in persons who have suffered an injury in an auto accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall accident, workplace or industrial accident and so on. Preliminary tests conducted in lab rats show that there is a strong relationship between the level of the brain injury and presence of certain brain biomarkers in the animal's blood. There is reason to be very encouraged that we could soon have a device that facilitates speedy diagnosis of brain injury, and therefore, quicker treatment.

The Atlanta injury lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of auto/truck/motorcycle accidents across Georgia.

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Brain Injury | 0 Comments Permalink

Atlanta Researchers to Test Effects of Progesterone Hormone in Brain Injury Treatment

As car accident lawyers in Atlanta, we often come across patients with serious brain injuries after an automobile or motorcycle accident. These injuries are some of the most severe a person can suffer, and also some of the most difficult to treat. In fact, there has been no significant progress in the treatment of brain injury for many years now.

That may be about to change, and in our very own Atlanta at that. Researchers at Emory Hospital will soon begin clinical trials into the effects of a female sex hormone that could limit the effects of a brain injury. Progesterone is a hormone that helps support pregnancy. Researchers believe that this hormone if injected soon after a brain injury could help limit the extent of the injury and prevent disability or death.  This new trial will be lead by Doctor David Wright at Atlanta’s Emory hospital.  According to Dr. Wright, Traumatic Brain Injury involves swelling, inflammation and destruction of neuron cells, and progesterone seems to have beneficial effects on all of these.

Research into the effects of progesterone on brain injury is nothing new. A quarter century ago, studies proved that progesterone does act as a protective barrier over brain cells. The researchers don’t know yet how progesterone will help limit brain damage after a serious injury, but it is hoped that it will restrict self destruction of the neuron cells, and prevent inflammation. The hormone is injected about 4 hours after the injury occurs.

The Food and Drug Administration has given the trial permission to bypass consent from the patient or family members before injecting the hormone. So, doctors can go ahead and inject the hormone if they don’t receive consent from the patient (who may likely be unconscious) or family members within an hour.

The Atlanta injury lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of brain injury as a result of a car, truck or motorcycle accident, industrial accident, slip and fall accident or other causes. 

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Brain Injury | 0 Comments Permalink