Articles Tagged with California brain injury attorney

Brain injuries, including concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Carlsbad, do not discriminate based on a person’s age. In other words, a person of any age can sustain a TBI while playing contact sports, in a motor vehicle crash, during a slip and fall, or in a recreational activity. When it comes to concussions and sports, there has been a significant increase in research in recent years concerning the relationship between athletes’ concussions and the later development of the degenerative brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This condition, CTE, has largely been found in older, former professional athletes posthumously. Research has suggested that multiple concussions early in life might increase the risk of CTE later on, but few studies have addressed the possibility or prevalence of CTE in much younger athletes. 

Recently, however, a new report in The New York Times suggests that CTE is impacting athletes at much younger ages than previously assumed. The article says that kids who started playing football as young as 6 years old have died of CTE when they were only in their teens and early 20s. 

What is CTE?

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.

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?

  1. 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.

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.”

nathan-dumlao-1064615-unsplash-copy-200x300Whether you live in San Marcos or elsewhere in the San Diego County area, it is important to know about electric scooters and the personal injury risks they pose. According to a recent news release from the University of California, new research suggests that e-scooters are tied to high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken bones, and dislocated joints. Those who sustain these types of injuries on e-scooters require medical attention, and some seemingly less serious injuries also require riders to seek treatment in an emergency department.

Why are e-scooters dangerous, and how should residents around San Diego County respond?

New Study Ties Electric Scooters to Serious Personal Injuries

joao-victor-xavier-304057-copy-300x169Sports-related concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by contact sports have received significant attention in the last decade after numerous athletes showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In response to the high rate of brain trauma among youth athletes and professional athletes in contact sports in particular, researchers began engaging in in-depth studies surrounding football and head injuries. According to a recent study conducted at the University of Michigan, high school football players may have concussion biomarkers after taking a hit to the head without showing obvious symptoms.

This new research could help to prevent additional injuries among high school athletes, and it could ensure that youth football players receive the medical treatment and rest they need after suffering a mild TBI, even if they are not showing symptoms of a concussion.

Symptoms of Concussions May Not be Enough to Assess Likelihood of a TBI

bm0y9zmka1m-sean-brown-300x109Vista residents and others throughout Southern California who have suffered significant traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) should know that additional new research is being documented in this area all the time. More precisely, researchers continue to investigate the link between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to a recent press release from University of California, Davis, funding from the Pew Foundation will support new initiatives that will involve research into the biochemistry behind brain trauma. The research is part of a broader initiative to investigate and combat TBIs—including concussions—in both youth and professional sports leagues.

Biochemistry, Hits to the Head, and Traumatic Brain Injury

As the press release discusses, we know that behavioral changes take place in the brain after concussions. What we do not know, however, is precisely how the biochemistry of the brain changes, ultimately leading to those mood shifts. Kassandra Ori-McKenney, an assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology at UC Davis, is researching TBIs and biochemistry. Ori-McKenney won fellowship and is the 2018 Pew biomedical scholar. The funding provides $300,000 over the course of four years, during which time Ori-McKenney “will investigate the role of the protein tau in the development of neurodegeneration resulting from traumatic brain injury.” Thus far, we know that there is a “strong correlation with the expression and spread of tau throughout the brain’s circularity.”

joao-victor-xavier-304057-copy-300x169Do you have a child who currently plays a contact sport such as football or soccer in Escondido? Do you often worry about the risks of concussion and the likelihood of coaches properly identifying concussion risks on the field? An article in the National Academies Press, which is a journal connected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, concussions are notoriously difficult to detect.

The article underscores that “part of the underreporting of concussions stems from the fact that the injury cannot be seen,” given that “with a concussion, there is no obvious injury such as when an arm or leg is dislocated.” There are, of course, signs and symptoms of concussions, but these are not always dispositive. As such, teen athletes and others who sustain blows to the head may suffer from concussions but may not be properly diagnosed. A missed diagnosis or improper diagnosis can result in long-term harm.

However, according to a recent article in The New York Times, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved a blood test that is designed to detect concussions. How does it work?

Are certain athletes at greater risk of a debilitating brain injury than others?  According to an article in Women’s Health, female and younger athletes may “take longer to recover from concussions.”  The article cited a new study conducted by researchers in Michigan State University’s Department of Kinesiology.  How can this information help victims of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)?  In short, the findings suggest that treatment options should be different based on the age and sex of the victim, and physicians should take these factors into account when treating patients with head trauma.

Girl in Hospital Bed

Age and Sex Impact Recovery: Details of the Study

According to Tracey Covassin, the lead researcher on the study, “females performed worse than males on visual memory tests” after sustaining a TBI, and females also “reported more symptoms postconcussion.”  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that concussions are a form of mild traumatic brain injury, and they’re typically characterized by a “bump, blow, or jolt to the head.”  Typically, concussions aren’t life-threatening injuries, but they can have serious and debilitating effects nonetheless.

Much of the recent news surrounding traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and sports has focused on the NFL. Yet researchers emphasize that many different contact sports can leave players and coaches susceptible to severe head trauma, and a recent accident in Tehachapi, California has left a baseball coach serious injured.

Baseball
According to a recent article in Yahoo Sports, Tehachapi High School baseball coach Chris Olofson “suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain after being hit in the head by a line drive while coaching.”  Will the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) change its tune about coaching and safety requirements?

Brain injuries can result from many different accidents, but contact sports can be particularly dangerous.  If you have sustained a TBI while playing or coaching sports, you may be eligible to file a claim for compensation.  ASan Diego brain injury lawyer at the Walton Law Firm can discuss your case with you today.

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