Articles Posted in Brain Injury

If you have been in a Florida truck accident and do not appear to be seriously injured, you may think yourself lucky to walk away from an accident. It’s true — given the size difference between passenger vehicles and trucks, surviving any Florida car accident involving a truck is often a cause for celebration. However, many people who are fortunate enough to walk way from Florida truck accidents do not bother getting medical help. This can be an expensive and dangerous mistake.

The truth is, if you have been in a Florida truck accident you need to seek emergency medical help immediately. Even if you think that you are not injured, you may have sustained in internal injuries and other injuries which may not show up immediately. For example, injuries such as whiplash and some brain injuries may not present immediate symptoms. Nevertheless, brain injuries can the fatal if not treated, even if you seem fine at first. Seeking immediate medical help ensures that there is no problem that can endanger your life and your health.

Another excellent reason to visit a medical professional or emergency room after a Florida truck accident is to start the documentation process. If you do need to file a claim with your insurer or if you do find that you have been injured and didn’t realize it, getting immediate help ensures that there is an emergency room file about your condition. This can help you file a claim later on if you decide to do so.

Unfortunately, many Florida truck accident victims find that they are left with the entire bill or much of the bill of their medical costs after an accident. Insurance companies do not usually rush to pay out the full claim in any accident. If they did so, they would lose money. As well, it can be difficult to prove an injury has occurred from a specific accident. Getting help immediately can save your life, and it can also help prove that any injure you have sustained was in fact caused by the accident.

Going to the emergency room may be frightening, it may cost money, and it could take some time. However, it can also help save your life and could help provide you with the documentation you need to pursue any claim. It is always better to be safe than sorry. When visiting the emergency room, it is also a good idea to get a copy of your medical file before you leave. Again, if you need this information to prove a claim, it will be handy to have this information at your fingertips.

Continue reading →

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA), commercial truck drivers are using safety belts more than ever before – an important precaution that can help prevent Florida workers compensation suits as well as fatal Florida truck accidents. According to the FMCSA 2009 Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers Survey, 74% of surveyed commercial truck drivers used seat belts on 2009. This represents a 9% increase over the 2007-2009 period.

According to the survey, passengers and other occupants of commercial trucks have a 61% usage rate when it comes to seat belts. The FMCSA 2009 Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers Survey surveyed 20,818 commercial drivers and 1,628 occupants of commercial vehicles across 827 sites across the US. According to the findings, safety belt use is higher in states that enforce primary belt use laws. States with secondary belt use laws have a seat belt usage of 67% among CMV drivers while states with primary belt use laws have a usage rate of 78%. Further, the FMCSA 2009 Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers Survey found that seat belt use among drivers and occupants with national or regional fleets is higher than the rates among independent owner-operators.

According to the FMCSA 2009 Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers Survey, there are also regional differences in the way seat belts are used. The survey found that commercial drivers and passengers were most likely to wear seat belts in the West, where usage rates were 79%, compared with just 64% in the Northeast. Southern states had a 75% usage rate while the Midwest had a 68% rate.

Safety belt use is a major concern for the FMCSA. The organization hosts contests and encourages awareness programs to ensure that drivers buckle up. In many cases, seat belt use can help prevent a fatal Florida truck accident. Without a seat belt, a driver in an accident can be thrown from the vehicle or may be tossed about inside the truck. Without a seat belt, these injuries are likely to result in serious Florida brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and potentially fatalities. Seat belts restrain the driver in the event of an accident and help to protect the driver from impact.

The FMCSA has faced a number of challenges over the years in trying to enforce seat belt use. There are many myths about seat belts among commercial drivers. For example, some drivers erroneously believe that in the event of a Florida truck rollover, a safety belt can prevent them from escaping the truck and can actually contribute to fatalities. Statistics have proven that it is not the case. The safest place for a truck driver in most accidents is in the cabin, securely fastened by a safety belt.

Continue reading →

In states with significant snowfall and other winter weather, brain injuries are a serious concern. Winter sports such as skating and skiing pose a significant risk of injury, while winter conditions often contribute to car accidents and slip and fall accidents which can lead to serious head injuries. However, while Florida is lucky enough to enjoy beautiful weather even in the winter, Florida brain injurieshttps://www.flaxmanlaw.com/lawyer-attorney-1121037.html are still a concern in the winter months.

Many Florida residents leave the state to enjoy skiing, sledding, and other winter activities in snowier states. Residents can easily sustain serious injuries during these sports. Since winter sports take place on ice and slopes, injuries are quite common, especially among participants with little or no experience. Slippery surfaces and unfamiliar equipment can easily lead to falls and serious spinal cord injuries and brain injuries. According to experts, there are many ways to help prevent this type of accident when enjoying winter activities:

1) Start simple. It is important to stay within your experience range. If you have never been skiing, get some instruction and stay on slopes that match your skill level. If you are new to skating, try skating at an indoor rink near the walls so that you can grab them for support.

2) Wear the right equipment. Work with a sports store or rental outfitter that can help you select the right equipment in the right size. Incorrectly fitted equipment can make you easily lose your balance and can easily lead to an accident.

3) Wear a helmet. Many brain injuries on ski slopes, sled slopes, and ice rinks can be prevented by the use of a properly-fitted helmet. Ice surfaces are very hard, so it is essential to protect your head with a helmet. The helmet cushions the head in the event of a fall and helps prevent brain injury.

4) Try winter activities when you are physically ready. Avoid taking to the slopes (or the skating rink) when you are tired, drinking, or unwell. Accidents are more likely when you are not physically fit. As well, try to get in shape by exercising regularly throughout the year – weekend warriors are more likely to be hurt because their bodies cannot always handle the sudden muscle exertion.

Continue reading →

According to a research study published in Accident Analysis & Prevention journal, our love affair with light trucks may be causing more Florida car accidents and pedestrian accidents – and more traffic accidents nationwide. The research was completed by researchers at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University.

Researchers at Rowan University used the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the Pedestrian Crash Data Study (PCDS), and the General Estimates System (GES) to gather information about crash statistics. Researchers compared injuries and accidents involving SUVs (sport utility vehicles), light trucks, pickup trucks, vans, and passenger vehicles.

The researchers concluded that passenger vehicles are shifting. More customers are purchasing vans and lights trucks, rather than the smaller cars which have traditionally made up the bulk of passenger cars. However, vans and light trucks are designed differently. They are more blunt, stiffer, and heavier. Their load is distributed differently. Researchers concluded that these differences make these vehicles more likely to cause serious Florida pedestrian accidents and Florida vehicle rollovers – as well as pedestrian accidents and rollovers across the country.

Many Florida car accidents and truck accidents result in brain injuries. This is because the force of a collision can push a passenger’s head against a solid object (such as a dashboard) or can cause the head to shake so violently that this causes a brain injury. Due to the greater force of truck accidents, these collisions are far more likely to cause serious or even fatal injuries.

To understand Florida brain injuries caused by truck accidents, it is important to understand the brain. The brain is protected by the scalp, which is made of connective tissues, skin, hair, and muscle. It is 5-7 mm thick. Below this is the skull, which provides even more protection for the brain. The skull is actually made up of eight bones and is between 4-7 mm thick in various places. The skull allows nerves and arteries to enter and leave the brain and at the base of the spine is the brain stem as well as the start of the spinal cord. Many Florida spinal cord injuries caused by trucking accidents are in fact caused by injury to this part of the head.

Inside the skull, the brain is even more protected by membranes. There are in fact three layers of these membranes. The meninges support the nerves and blood vessels carrying oxygen and other necessities to the brain. They also separate the bone of the skull from the brain. The meninges further help protect the brain because they are lubricated by a nutrient-rich cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is also found in the spaces within the brain.

A new study may have serious repercussions for families who have loved ones with serious brain injuries. Researchers at the University of Liege in Belgium have conducted a study which shows that 41% of people who where diagnosed as being in a vegetative state were in fact in a minimally conscious state. This misdiagnosis is a serious problem, since families make decisions based on continuing or discontinuing care for a loved one based on such subtle diagnostic differences.

In 2005, Terri Schindler Schiavo may have been misdiagnosed as in a vegetative state when she may actually have been in a minimally conscious state. If the diagnosis had been made differently, Schiavo may not have died in 2005. A legal battle between Schiavo’s husband and family led to her eventually dying due to starvation and dehydration. At question was whether she was in a minimally conscious state or not. She was officially diagnosed as being in a vegetative state but multiple doctors believed she was in a minimally conscious state.

In the University of Liege in Belgium study, 44 patients who had been diagnosed as being in a vegetative state using the JFK Coma Recovery Scale-Revised were re-tested using medical staff observation. 18 of the patients were found in this manner to be in a minimally conscious state. A person in the vegetative state has no awareness of their surroundings but can breathe on their own and shows normal reflexes. A person in a minimally conscious state can experience emotion and pain and may be able to communicate in small ways.

Brain injuries claim thousands of children’s lives each year and most are preventable. Many such injuries to children and minors occur when they fall from a bicycle or skateboard, and in most cases these injuries are completely preventable. A helmet can help prevent the vast majority of head injuries related to bicycle accidents and skateboard accidents.

The problem is that many children and teens refuse to wear helmets when bicycling or skateboarding. Many kids respond to peer pressure and abandon helmets or worry about appearing “nerdy.” Even children who wear helmets when their parents are watching may remove helmets when bicycling or skateboarding just with friends. No parent can ensure that their children are watched all the time, so how can parents ensure that children wear helmets – even when they’re out of sight? Some experts recommend that helmets can be more appealing if they’re cool. Here’s how to make helmets cool for your child or teen:

1) Let your child choose a helmet. Your child should be the one to choose a helmet, because that’s the only way to ensure that your child has a helmet he or she likes. Shop around for a helmet with the same care you would shop around for a bike – visit lots of different stores and try on the many different styles until you child finds one they like.

Brain injuries can result from simple summer sports, from car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and even simple slip and fall accidents. In many cases, a bump on the head results in no serious injury, but in some cases, a bump on the head causes the brain to crash against the inside of the skull. In some cases, this can lead to internal bleeding, concussions, and brain damage.

The case of actress Natasha Richardson earlier this year proved that diagnosing a brain injury can be difficult. Richardson fell at the bottom of a beginner’s slope while skiing. Initially, she seemed fine, speaking and laughing. After refusing medical attention, she walked to her hotel room. Within hours, her condition became serious. Tragically, she eventually died as a result of the brain injury she suffered on the slope.

Experts and neurologists note that when helping someone who may have suffered a brain injury, it is important to:

A brain injury can occur as a result of a boating accident, slip and fall accident, bicycle accident, nursing home abuse, and other injuries. There are two kinds of brain injuries: impact injuries and contrecoup concussions. Impact injuries occur when the head hits something solid. Contrecoup concussions occur when the head is whipped from side to side or forward and backward. This causes the brain to crash against the skull, which leads to bruising, bleeding, swelling, tearing, and other damage to brain tissue.

The most serious symptoms of brain injury include vomiting and disorientation and loss of consciousness. Loss of consciousness is usually easy to spot, but telling whether sometime is disoriented. Physicians use the Glasgow scale to determine this. The Glasgow scale gauges how well someone is able to keep their eyes open, how well someone is able to respond verbally to questions, and how well someone’s muscle responses work. If someone loses consciousness after a head injury or is unable to answer simple questions, call emergency medical personnel. If someone is vomiting after a head injury, the brain injury may be a medical emergency. Dial 911.

Other symptoms of a brain injury include sensitivity to noise, headaches, tiredness, dizziness, irritability, blurred vision, problems concentrating or doing multiple tasks at once, lack of patience, anxiety, trouble sleeping, trouble remembering things. If someone develops these symptoms after a head injury, they should visit their doctor right away.

About 6 million Americans each year are affected by mild traumatic brain injuries. These injuries occur as a result of sports injuries, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, falls, and other incidents. Usually, these injuries require less than 48 hours of hospitalization or even no hospitalization at all. However, do not let the name “mild traumatic brain injury” fool you – this type of brain injury can still have a significant impact on a person’s life. It also requires close monitoring, as a mild injury can get worse.

A brain injury is considered a mild traumatic brain injury if the patient has been unconscious for less than 20 minutes after a head injury. Some mild memory loss is common after a mild traumatic brain injury, and many patients, for example, do not remember the head injury that has occurred. In a mild traumatic brain injury, however, memory usually returns in 24 to 48 hours. With medical supervision, the patient heals.

Many people who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury find that as they recover they experience several symptoms. Doctors refer to these as postconcussion syndrome symptoms:

Client Reviews
★★★★★
Mr. Flaxman is highly skilled and very pleasant to work with. He communicated with me at every step in the process, and clearly presented information relating to my case. To anyone considering retaining his firm, I highly recommend him. Clara Barman
★★★★★
THE BEST. Honest, very knowledgeable, fast and easy. has helped me in numerous situations and has never failed me. Joe Gee
★★★★★
Charlie is a very skilled attorney that advocates hard for his clients. But the best part is he is an all around great guy. He cares about helping and doing what is right for people and his community. And he is not afraid to fight against those who do wrong or against threats to our world. He is fluent in Spanish as well. Do yourself a favor and call him. Andy
★★★★★
I had a lawyer on another case and I never spoke to the lawyer and I hated that I never knew what was going on in my case. Mr. Flaxman was in constant communication with me, explained everything to me, and his staff was really great too. My phone calls were always returned immediately. It was refreshing to be able to speak to my attorney personally. I would HIGHLY recommend Mr. Flaxman as an attorney to anyone who has been in an accident. Gloria
★★★★★
I found Mr. Flaxman to be an excellent attorney for my personal injury case. This is actually the second time I have used him and he really represented my interests. He explained everything thoroughly and he was very available for my questions. Carol
Contact Information