Our Michigan brain injury lawyers recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of brothers age 6 and 7 who were two and three years old respectively when they suffered their lead poisoning. Their family was renting a home in Battle Creek at the time. The Calhoun County Health Department conducted a lead investigation as a result of the lead poisoning. The rental property had lead hazards on the interior and exterior. The minor plaintiffs have cognitive deficits and brain damage as a result of their lead poisoning. No date has been set for trial.

Lead poisoning is a devastating injury to children throughout the United States. Lead is a neurotoxin that affects a young child’s developing central nervous system. While it was once believed to be a problem confined strictly to inner-city housing, it is now known that lead poisoning is common in all housing throughout the United States.

The primary source of the lead is through chipping and peeling lead-based paint and through the inhalation of dust particles. The federal government estimates that lead paint is present in three out of four homes built before 1978, but only homes that are not properly maintained constitute potential hazards to children.

Lead based paint is the biggest lead hazard in our environment and can cause serious injuries to children such as brain injury. If your child suffers injuries, such as brain injury, due to lead poisoning, contact our office immediately at (800) 606-1717 to discuss your case and speak with one of our experienced Michigan brain injury attorneys.

The Brain Injury Association of America is launching a year-long, nationwide, education and advocacy campaign in recognition of March being Brain Injury Awareness Month. The campaign launches this month and is called “A concussion is a brain injury. Get the facts.” The campaign will include radio and print public service announcements, awareness proclamations, special events, and a state advocacy effort to introduce legislation to train coaches and protect young athletes.

Many people do not realize that a concussion is a brain injury. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). They are caused by a bump or blow to the head, many of times while playing a sport. Concussions don’t always mean you lose consciouness. This is why you should be aware of the symptoms of a concussion to ensure that you don’t have one after taking a blow to the head.

The symptoms of concussions include:

• Nausea (feeling that you might vomit)
• Dizziness or balance problems
• Double or fuzzy vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Headache
• Feeling sluggish or tired
• Feeling foggy or groggy
• Confusion
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble remembering

If you’ve had a concussion you should seek a health care professional immediately. A concussion is a serious injury and should not be taken lightly. A concussion is a brain injury. If you or a family member suffer a concussion while playing a sport or some other personal injury accident, contact our Michigan brain injury lawyers immediately to discuss your case. Call us now at (800) 606-1717.

After a traumatic brain injury, it is usually a team of dedicated medical professionals that assist the patient and family with recovery and rehabilitation.  The licensed professionals involved in the care of brain injury patient during recovery may include:

• Neurosurgeon: A surgeon expert in diseases and conditions of the nervous system. Often the attending physician who manages the
  case.
• Neurologist: A physician who specializes in the nervous system and its disorders.
• Pulmonologist: A physician who manages problems with respiration and lung disorders.
• Physiatrist: A physician who specializes in physical medication and rehabilitation.
• Orthopedic Surgeon: A surgeon who specializes in diseases of the bones and treats injuries to the limbs and back.
• Neuropsychologist: A psychologist with specialized training in relationships between the brain and behavior.
• Nurses: Nursing staff provides direct patient care in all phases of the recovery process including administering oral and intravenous
  medications, positioning patients, and carrying out physicians’ orders.
• Physical Therapist: Evaluates components of movement, including muscle strength, tone, posture, coordination, endurance, and general
  mobility.
• Occupational Therapist: Focuses on reestablishing the activities of daily living, self care, and upper body motor skills.
• Speech/Language Pathologist: Responsible for evaluating and assisting with swallowing problems, communication difficulties, and
  cognitive deficits.
• Respiratory Therapist: A person skilled in operating machines to aid breathing and keep the airway open.
• Social Worker/Case Manager: A liaison between the professional team and other parties concerned with the patient.

Depending on the consequences of the brain injury, other professionals as appropriate may also include a neuro-ophthalmologist, behavioral optometrist, recreational therapist, biomedical engineer, certified driving educator, infectious disease specialist, orthopedist, and vocational rehabilitation specialist.

In addition to medical providers, the brain injury victim also needs an experienced lawyer to assist him or her with receiving insurance benefits, treatment, and in filing a lawsuit against the person or entity that caused the brain injury.  Our Michigan brain injury lawyers work together with the medical professionals on the same team to help the patient and their family through the entire process.

A victim of a traumatic brain injury or closed head injury often has a team of medical specialists to assist  in the recovery and rehabilitation.  Each member of the team has a different background, specialty, and purpose and it is the teamwork between them all that works best for the patient.

A neuropsychologist is not a physician in the strictest sense, considering that he is essentially a psychologist specializing in treating functional disorders of the brain as well as behavioral malfunctioning.

You cannot expect a neuropsychologist to order for the routine tests often demanded by other physicians like EEGs, MRIs, or CT scans. On the contrary a neuropsychologist prefers to conduct a series of written examinations followed by personal interviews with the brain-injured victim. This series of tests is often referred to as a testing ‘battery’.

What is the purpose of such a testing battery?   The tests are done with the sole purpose of identifying some of the critical functional aspects of the brain. This includes memory capacity both short and long term, abstract reasoning skills, attention span, ability to focus, executive functioning capacity, motor skills and other emotional and cognitive traits. Based on the results of such tests along with other medical information, the neuropsychologist is then in a position to comment regarding the severity of the brain injury, its most viable treatment procedure and also predict what the future holds for the patient.

Opinions and viewpoints of the neuropsychologist are given serious cognizance by the jury in case there is a lawsuit filed by the victim of a traumatic brain injury or his family. He is treated as an authority when it is a matter of establishing the severity of the brain injury. The test results often go a long way to ratify the permanence of the injury and confirm the victim’s inability to work ever in his life.

A neuropsychologist often doubles up as a counselor and a therapist to bring back the brain-injured patient as close  to his pre-injury state.  They often also often provide group counseling sessions and recommend other forms of important rehabilitation.  They are an essential part of the brain injury treatment and recovery team.

Importance of the neurologist in the management of traumatic brain injuries

Doctors who treat a victim of closed brain injury usually comprise of several specialties, each one contributing his own perspectives and evaluations to the overall treatment regimen. Among others, the neurologist plays a key role in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries.

Who is a neurologist and what role does he play in the treating a brain-injured patient? A neurologist is a physician (MD or DO) specializing in treating ailments affecting the brain and the central nervous system. A neurological problem can have various physical manifestations including structural abnormalities or malfunctioning of specific zones within the entire nervous system of the body.

The neurologists’ job is to diagnose and treat such conditions, while physicians like psychiatrists and neuropsychologists concentrate on rectifying other injury-related problems like cognitive and mental disorders. However none of these specialties work in isolation. They work as a team.

After a traumatic brain injury, no treatment can start without the knowledge of the precise state of the victim’s nervous system. This is where a neurologist plays a critical role. He performs a comprehensive test to provide important information. The scope of his examination include the 12 important nerves of the head and neck, reflex action, sense of balance and muscle coordination, muscle strength and of course his mental and emotional state.

From his test results the treating doctors can access vital information about the victim’s state of consciousness, response to surroundings, general behavioral traits, orientation, attention span and memory.

There are a number of diagnostic tests which the neurologist performs including lumbar puncture, electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography/nerve conduction velocity (EMG/NCV) to identify the precise nature and severity of the brain injury.

A neurologist may at times refer  the victim of a traumatic brain injury to a neuropsychologist depending on the results of diagnostic tests like EEG, EMG, CT and MRI. He does this mainly to seek the opinion of the neuropsychologist as to which areas of the brain are damaged and which is still untouched by the trauma. This critical assessment of the situation would allow him to conclude how the trauma has impacted the victim’s thought procedure and outward behavior.

Diagnosis, treatment and recovery of victims of other types of problems related to brain injuries including seizures are also undertaken by a neurologist.