Brain Injury

February 17, 2023

New Study Suggests Brain Injury May Increase Risk of Brain Cancer

If you suffer a brain injury in San Clemente, are you more likely than someone who has not suffered a brain injury to be diagnosed with brain cancer later on? In other words, is there a link between a person sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their future risk of brain cancer? According to a recent study published in the journal Current Biology, there may indeed be a link between brain injuries and brain cancer. The study was conducted by researchers at University College London (UCL), and it could have implications for personal injury cases involving brain injuries and brain cancer diagnoses. What do you need to know? Our San Clemente personal injury attorneys can discuss the study with you, as well as its potential implications for a brain injury claim.

Head Injuries Cited as a Contributing Factor to Brain Cancer Diagnoses

The new study was reported in Docwire News, and that site explains that the study is notable because it reveals that “head injuries could be a contributing factor in the development of brain cancer later in life.” To be sure, the researchers determined that “genetic mutations, combined with brain tissue inflammation, changed the behavior of cells, making them more likely to become cancerous.” While previous evidence used to link brain injuries with brain cancer was “inconclusive,” the new study could prove that head trauma can be linked to brain cancer.

February 3, 2023

New Study Says Three Concussions Likely Will Result in Serious Brain Damage

by Walton Law Firm

Have you or someone you love sustained a concussion in a motor vehicle collision in Rancho Bernardo or another type of accident in Southern California? Whether you or a loved one recently sustained a concussion in an accident for the first time or now suffered a subsequent concussion, you may wonder: how many concussions are too many before I experience long-term damage? To be clear, even a single concussion can have long-term consequences, and you should certainly speak with a Rancho Bernardo brain injury attorney if you have suffered a concussion in an incident resulting from another party’s negligence or intentional act.

Multiple concussions tend to put a person at greater risk for serious brain damage and neurological issues in the future. A new study suggests that “three concussions seems to be a turning point for brain issues, and further injury worsens symptoms.”

Our Southern California injury lawyers want to discuss the study and its potential implications for people who have sustained concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

August 5, 2022

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Encinitas

by Walton Law Firm

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in Encinitas have a wide range of causes, and in many head trauma cases, another party may be liable. Brain injuries can vary widely in terms of their severity, with some patients recovering relatively quickly from TBIs and others requiring years of recovery. Under certain circumstances, a person who sustains a TBI may not recover fully, even with proper medical care and rehabilitation therapy. As the Mayo Clinic explains, brain injury symptoms will depend upon whether you have suffered a minor, moderate, or severe TBI, and the severity of the injury will also play a key role in determining available treatments. Throughout the recovery process, it is important to remember that you may be able to hold the at-fault party accountable for your brain injury.

How do brain injuries happen and who may be liable? Consider the following common causes cited by the Mayo Clinic.

Motor Vehicle Collisions

January 21, 2022

Three Things to Know About Liability for a Traumatic Brain Injury in San Clemente

by Walton Law Firm

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) should always be taken seriously in San Clemente, whether a concussion occurs on a sports field or a vehicle occupant sustains head trauma in a car crash. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traumatic brain injuries “affect how the brain works,” and they are “a major cause of death and disability in the United States.” On average, 166 Americans suffer fatal brain injuries every day, and more than 223,000 people have to be hospitalized with TBIs each year. Who is liable when these injuries occur?

Responsible Party Will Depend Upon the Specific Facts of Your Case

The party or parties responsible for a TBI will depend upon the specific facts of your case. The CDC reports that approximately 15% of high school kids in the U.S. report sustaining at least one concussion in sports or recreation activities, in which case the educational institution or a coach may be liable. At the same time, studies also show that motor vehicle collisions and falls are leading causes of brain injuries, which could result in a motorist or a property owner being responsible for paying damages.

June 10, 2021

New California Brain Injury Research Focuses on Moderate Concussions

by Walton Law Firm

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in Encinitas, from mild TBIs like concussions to severe head trauma, can result in life-long disabilities and other limitations. According to a recent study at the University of California, Riverside, researchers have begun an initiative to focus on moderate concussions in order to gain a better understanding of the long-term effects of more serious concussions and the ways in which those brain injuries can result in other debilitating conditions. The results of the study may be able to help athletes who suffer repeat concussions, as well as other people who sustain moderate concussions in motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, and recreational activities.

Learning More About the UC Riverside Concussion Research

The new study, which will be based in a UC Riverside lab, will happen through a five-year renewable grant of more than $2.3 million, according to a UC Riverside press release. According to Viji Santhakumar, an associate professor of molecular, cell and systems biology who is leading the study, “we expect this research project will provide fundamental insights into how memory deficits and epilepsy develop after brain injury.” Santhakumar further explains how the research will “help us identify potential early therapies to prevent the development of epilepsy as well as memory and cognitive issues after brain injury.”

November 27, 2020

Kids With Concussions Need More Healing Time, Study Says

by Walton Law Firm

If your child or teenager currently plays a sport in San Clemente in which there is a risk of a concussion or another type of head injury, you probably have some background knowledge about kids and concussions. In recent years, research into sports-related concussions has shown the serious risks that children and teenagers face from concussions on the field, and the ways in which those concussion injuries, especially if they are repeat injuries, can have long-term consequences for the child into adulthood. In response to sports-related concussion research, coaches and schools in California and across the country changed protocols for injuries, requiring children and teens to take a certain amount of time away from games and practices until a head injury heals.

However, according to an article in Medical Daily, recent research published in the journal Orthopedics suggests that kids need significantly more time to heal than previous researchers suggested. Indeed, according to the authors of the study, teens who sustain sports-related concussions need at least a month away from any play to heal properly, and most teenage athletes are not taking that kind of time.

Concussions in Teenagers Heal Slowly

April 3, 2020

New Study Shows Higher Rates of Fall-Related TBIs in the United States

by Walton Law Firm

Whether you live in Vista or elsewhere in Southern California, it is important to take steps to avoid a serious personal injury. Injuries can happen almost anywhere, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can result from many different types of accidents. Motor vehicle collisions, slips and falls, and other kinds of accidents can lead to severe head trauma. According to a recent report from U.S. News & World Report, rates of fall-related TBI deaths are on the rise in California and across the country. In other words, more people are sustaining fatal brain injuries in fall-related accidents than in previous years and decades. The study shows that fall-related TBI deaths increased steadily between 2008-2017. We want to take a closer look at that study and to consider what it means for Vista residents who sustain brain injuries in falls.

More People are Suffering Deadly TBIs in Falls

Traumatic brain injuries, according to researchers, are head injuries that are “caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, or a penetrating head injury that results in disruption of normal brain function.” In general, TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe. Concussions are one type of mild TBI, and although they may result in life-threatening problems later on, most mild and moderate TBIs do not immediately cause a person’s death. The key piece of information from the report is that more people are sustaining fatal TBIs in fall-related accidents. Yet there is more to the data than that. More of the people falling are older adults, and more of them live in rural areas of the country. Rates of fall-related brain injury deaths have risen across age groups and geographic regions, but those specific risk factors showed particular growth.

March 6, 2020

New Study Addresses Hockey Concussions

by Walton Law Firm

While most of us do not associate life in Oceanside, CA with ice hockey, there are certainly ice hockey teams in Southern California, and many high school students play hockey with an aim of playing in college or afterward. The universities in the UC system also have hockey teams, and both men and women enjoy club hockey at the nearby University of California, San Diego campus. Although California might not be known for its hockey, young people do play ice hockey here. According to a recent report in CBS News, they may be at greater risk of a concussion than researchers previously reported. Women, in particular, may sustain concussions at a much higher rate in ice hockey than scientists previously believed.

Risks of Ice Hockey and Head Trauma

According to the recent report, concussions in women’s ice hockey are much more common than you might think. Many of the players are beginning to think more carefully about how they are exposed to serious risks of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A recent study conducted by researchers at the Minnesota Department of Health determined that “girls, particularly girls who play hockey, are more likely to get concussions than boys.” Some of the reason is “biological,” according to Dr. Uzma Samadani, a brain surgeon. As Dr. Samadani clarified, “boys have stronger necks and thicker skulls.”

December 27, 2019

New Study Addresses Traumatic Brain Injury Patterns in Boxers and MMA Fighters

by Walton Law Firm

Whether you recently suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Poway or elsewhere in Southern California, you should learn about a recent study that identifies potential biomarkers for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to an article in MedPage Today discussing the study, researchers have determined that brain region volume may help us to better understand CTE and ways that repeated concussions can result in degenerative brain conditions. The new study specifically assessed boxers and MMA fighters who showed “distinct brain injury patterns.” We will tell you more about the recent study and what its implications could be for future CTE studies and brain injury claims.

Tracking Brain Injury in Athletes and Other People with Repetitive Head Impacts

Many recent studies surrounding TBIs and other serious brain injuries differentiate between one-time head trauma and repeated head injuries, such as multiple concussions. The recent study specifically assessed repetitive head impacts, or RHI, among professional fighters. That study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Charles Bernick of the Cleveland Clinic. According to the article, Bernick’s research showed that “active professional fighters showed different patterns of brain volume loss than fighters who have retired from the ring,” and “these differences may lead to biomarkers to track changes in people with repetitive head impacts.”

September 20, 2019

Domestic Violence and Concussions in San Clemente

by Walton Law Firm

A large majority of discussions about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the last decade have focused on sports-related concussions and head trauma sustained by active-duty service members. In particular, a substantial portion of TBI research has focused on the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among NFL football players and others involved in contact sports. In relation to studies concerning professional athletes, much research also has identified the risks of sports-related concussions among youth athletes.

Yet few studies have considered the rate and effects of concussions sustained by women who are involved in “intimate partner violence,” according to a recent article in The New York Times. In response to that research shortage, Dr. Eve Valera has begun to analyze concussions among women who have sustained head injuries inflicted by domestic partners.

Limited Studies on Brain Trauma, Women, and Domestic Violence