Modesto Injury Lawyer Blog

Modesto personal injury attorneys would like to wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. We would also like to ask that everyone be extra cautious during this time whether you're driving, enjoying the holiday by the pool, out on the water or staying local and watching some of the fireworks events in Modesto.

It is during these summer months that residents experience an increased risk for injury in Modesto and elsewhere throughout the state. Your risk for a car accident increases drastically during this holiday weekend. During these holiday weekends there is not only an increase in traffic flow, but more drunk drivers take to our roads than any other time during the year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 11,000 deaths in 2009 because of car accidents that involved an impaired driver. A number of these accidents occurred during the holidays. These accidents accounted for more than 30 percent of all of the traffic fatalities for the entire year. Motorists are four times more likely to be involved in a motor-vehicle accident at night than during the day. Motorists are also more likely to be involved in these types of accidents on the weekends instead of during the week days.

Residents are asked to keep themselves and their loved ones from driving a motor-vehicle while impaired. You are also urged to report any suspected intoxicated drivers to local authorities to help reduce the risks of serious -- if not fatal -- traffic accidents.

Even if you're staying off our roadways and hitting the pool, you're still at an increased risk for injury -- and death. It is estimated that about 10 people die every day from unintentional drownings. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages. It is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 15.

There were more than 3,400 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in five people who die from drowning are children under 15. For every one of these deaths, four children receive care at an emergency room.

Nonfatal drownings can cause severe and permanent brain damage. Nonfatal drownings can cause memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.

Parents are urged to keep an eye on children who are in the pool at all times. It is beneficial to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) so that in the event of a drowning, you can help to keep the victim alive until paramedics arrive. Make sure that no one swims alone. Always encourage the buddy system near pools.

Many residents will be boating on the open water to celebrate the long weekend. Once again, you're faced with an increased risk for injury or death. During these holiday weekends, a number of inexperienced boaters hit our waterways, serving as potential dangers to everyone. Boaters are urged to keep life vests on board for every passenger, if not for safety then because it's the law.

According to the United States Coast Guard, there were more than 4,500 boating accidents in 2010. Nearly 700 fatalities resulted from these incidents and another 3,153 injuries were sustained by boaters. These accidents cost nearly $40 million dollars in property damage.

There's no denying that there's going to be booze out on our waterways this weekend. Boaters are asked to follow the same rules as the road. Never drink and drive a boat. Always have a designated driver. Alcohol use is the number one contributing factor in fatal boating accidents as it accounted for nearly 20 percent of boating deaths.

In 2010, there were more than 12 million recreational vessels registered by the United States. This weekend there were be a significant number of boaters on the water and with cautious and alert boating habits we can help to reduce the number of serious boating accidents.

When it's the Fourth of July, there will be fireworks. Everyone is asked to follow these safety tips to help avoid firework-related injuries:

-Always have a sober designated shooter.

-Make sure the shooter is always wearing safety glasses.

-Follow all local firework rules and regulations.

-Don't allow children under the age of 12 to play with fireworks or sparklers.

-Never relight a dud firework. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then soak it in water.

-Always keep water handy. Keep it in a bucket or keep a hose near you at all times.

-Do not shoot off fireworks near houses or near trees.

According to Prevent Blindness America, there were an estimated 9,800 injuries treated in emergency rooms because of firework-related injuries in 2007 alone. Eyes are the most likely body part to be injured in one of these accidents. Contusions, lacerations and foreign bodies were the most common injuries to eyes. Men accounted for nearly 75 percent of all of these victims.

Even though children shouldn't be playing with fireworks, some residents ignore this advice and still expose them to serious danger. Of the 1,100 estimated sparkler injuries, roughly 200 were to children under the age of 5. Approximately 2,600 of these child fireworks injuries were to children under age 15.

Continue reading "Have a Safe and Fun Fourth of July Weekend From Modesto Personal Injury Attorneys " »

Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, is a serious condition that can occur as the result of a personal injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of TBI in Modesto and across the nation. According to the results indicated by trials in a recent TBI study by Theresa Pape, a research scientist and professor at Hines VA Hospital and Northwestern University, respectively, familiar voices to victims of TBI may help them recover faster.

The study found that when people suffering from TBI hear voices that they recognize, test results show that they have a spike in brain activity. In trials, even severely damaged neural networks in the brain of vegetative victims were more responsive to familiar voices during MRI scans than those that were exposed to only non-familiar voices. During the scans, familiar voices sparked brain activity that showed up as bright yellow and red indicators across the brain, whereas there was little of this activity during exposure to non-familiar voices.

Pape submits that repeatedly hearing familiar voices of loved ones, family members and friends can actually help TBI victims' brains repair themselves faster. In TBI cases, thick white fibers called axons are shred after an injury. Pape hopes that the brain activity sparked by familiar voices will help heal that damage to help patients recover faster and with more success. Pape also hopes that the results of her study will help provide solace to family members who talk to their loved ones while they are in comas and wonder if the patients can hear them.

Although promising research is increasing the chance of survival for many victims of TBI, the majority of severe cases are still very damaging to the wellbeing of the victims. 16 to 24 year-old males are most at risk for traumatic brain injury in the U.S. In addition to motor vehicle accident victims, soldiers and athletes are most likely to suffer TBI. According to Pape, TBI occurs every 21 seconds in the United States, and one-third of those injuries is considered severe.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a motor vehicle accident or other accident that has caused a traumatic brain injury, contact a Modesto personal injury attorney right away. You may be able to receive compensation for your injuries, medical expenses and pain and suffering.

Even for the most experienced neurological specialists in Modesto, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be tough to accurately diagnose, since some symptoms can be very subtle. TBI is typically caused by sudden, unexpected events, including car accidents (either by direct injury or by whiplash), workplace accidents, sporting activities, physical altercations or slip and falls.

No matter the cause, the effects of TBI exhibit themselves with varying symptoms. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (a division of the National Institutes of Health), people who suffer from TBI may display one of numerous signs, in mild, moderate or severe intensity:

Mild Symptoms: Brief loss of consciousness at the time of injury (or shortly thereafter), headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision, tired eyes, ringing in the ears, sensitivity to light and sound, bad taste in mouth, fatigue, lethargy, changes in sleep patterns and changes in behavior and mood. Mild symptoms can also include trouble with memory, concentration, attention or thinking.

Moderate to Severe Symptoms: Severe, persistent or worsening headache, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions, seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination and increased confusion, agitation or restlessness.

Brain injuries require diagnostic and neurological testing immediately after injury in order to be accurately diagnosed and attributed to a specific event. Without early diagnosis, TBI can be difficult for personal injury lawyers to prove after traumatic events, although it is possible. If you or someone you know may have suffered a brain injury, it's vital to get immediate medical attention and diagnosis. The sooner you recognize the symptoms of TBI, the stronger your personal injury case will be in Modesto.

Car accidents, workplace injuries and sporting accidents are some of the main causes of brain injury cases in Modesto. When the brain is damaged, no matter how slightly, patients risk diminished capacity in cognitive function as well as in motor and communication skills. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehab involves re-teaching functions that can be restored and learning new behaviors for those functions that cannot be restored. Although every case is certainly different in circumstance and severity, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend immediate rehabilitation for most brain injury patients in order to increase the chances of total brain function reestablishment.

Before rehabilitation begins, however, a brain injury patient will likely stay in the intensive care unit until his or her condition can be stabilized. The primary immediate concerns for a patient with a brain injury are proper oxygen supply to the brain and the body, maintaining proper blood circulation, reducing any swelling to the brain and controlling blood pressure. A specialist will also likely conduct any number of tests to examine and diagnose the extent of the brain injury, perhaps including a CT scan, MRI scan or PET scan. Once the patient has been stabilized, rehabilitation can begin with simple visual and motor skill exercises to get the brain functioning as quickly as possible to increase the chances of short and long-term success.

During this time, doctors or other medical professionals must take extreme care not to make critical mistakes, even in the most routine tasks. Even the smallest errors can cause patients to experience diminished capabilities, paralysis or worse. A personal injury lawyer can recover damages from medical malpractice, car accidents or workplace accidents that caused or exacerbated the brain injury. If you or someone you know has experienced a traumatic brain injury, it helps to have a legal advocate working for you as you heal.