It is estimated that more than 1.5 million people suffer brain injuries every year in our country.
Brain injuries can cause severe physical and mental impairments, especially when not diagnosed properly and treated immediately. To raise more awareness of the prevalence of brain injuries, their symptoms, and the importance of seeking medical treatment, the Brain Injury Association of America has designated March as National Brain Injury Awareness Month.
Brain injury awareness has increased over the past several years as professional athletes have shared with the public their experiences with the potentially devastating long-term consequences of conditions such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). There are two main categories of brain injuries. “Traumatic brain injuries” are those which occur when the brain experiences a sudden trauma from an external force. “Non-traumatic brain injuries,” on the other hand, are injuries that result from things like oxygen deprivation, metabolic disorders, stroke, or hemorrhage.
One of the major causes of brain injuries, both “traumatic” and “non-traumatic,” is medical malpractice. For example, a baby might sustain a brain injury due to negligence by the obstetrician during labor and delivery; an adult might experience a brain injury due to negligent correction or management of electrolyte levels; and patients of any age can experience brain damage due to negligent management of stroke symptoms or hemorrhage.
Because the brain does not heal well or quickly after sustaining injury, brain injuries caused by medical malpractice can have devastating physical, mental, and developmental consequences.
Babies who suffer brain injuries at birth may need special medical treatment for the rest of their lives, and their physical and cognitive abilities may be extremely limited. Adults who suffer brain injuries may need to spend months or years in nursing facilities while they attempt to recover from the injury and re-learn lost skills.
Brain injuries are one of leading causes of death in the United States. However, many of these injuries could be avoided if doctors exercised caution in caring for their patients. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury from a medical procedure such as surgery or childbirth, or if your doctor failed to diagnose the injury accurately or in a timely manner, contact the medical malpractice attorneys at CHH today to find out if you’re eligible for compensation.
Source: The Parthenon, “March is Brain Injury Awareness Month,” Shane Bias, March 10, 2013
