Brain Injuries Lawyer in St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois

A Recent Burger Law St. Louis Brain Injury Case

We recently represented a client who sustained a ruptured brain aneurysm when another vehicle rear ended his truck at high speeds. The accident forced him to retire early and led to cognitive defects. We fought for our client for three years and we eventually succeeded in getting him a full and fair settlement two months before trial. To learn more about what Burger Law is capable of read about how we reached a $0 to $2 million settlement here.

Common Brain Injuries in St. Louis Auto Accidents

There are a variety of brain injuries that can occur in auto accidents. Each differs in severity and symptoms. The most common car accident brain injuries include:

• Concussions — Concussions are often considered "mild" brain injuries because they are not life-threatening. However, there can still be serious side effects that can last for weeks. Concussions occur when your brain hits your skull as the result of a direct blow or whiplash-like movement.
• Contusion — Cerebral contusions are essentially bruises on your brain, or scattered areas of bleeding on the brain's surface. People with a brain contusion often lose consciousness. The injury can cause the brain to swell and cause blood clots, which can be deadly if not treated.
• Diffuse axonal injury — These injuries occur when the head is suddenly rotated or shaken back and forth. The trauma can tear the brain's nerve fibers (axons), which can cause injury throughout the brain and disrupt the brain's ability to communicate with the body. Severe cases can lead to an extended coma or death.
• Coup-contrecoup brain injuries — These injuries are named after the French words for "blow" and "counterblow," and involve two separate injuries from the same trauma. The "coup" injury is a contusion, cut or other injury to the brain underneath where the direct blow to the head was. The "contrecoup" injury occurs when the force to the head is severe enough to send the brain crashing against the other side of the skull, resulting in two injuries to the brain. They can often be misdiagnosed as the second injury is not always obvious. If not treated promptly, a coup-contrecoup injury could result in long-term complications.
• Brain penetration — This occurs when an object penetrates the dura mater, or the thick substance between the skull and brain. These are often the easiest to identify, but also the most lethal and those most likely to lead to lifelong complications. Brain penetration can also occur as the result of a depressed skull fracture.
• Acquired brain injury — Also called a secondary brain injury, these are not caused by direct trauma to the head. Instead, when there is an injury to another part of the body that restricts blood or oxygen flow to your brain, brain cells will die off, leading to cognitive dysfunction.

What Are the Consequences of a Brain Injury?

The aftermath of a brain injury, and the treatment required to reach maximum medical improvement, depends on the type of injury and its severity. With some injuries, such as a mild concussion, the brain can heal on its own while you monitor your symptoms. Others may take months or years of physical therapy for the brain to relearn how to complete basic tasks. Others may result in permanent personality changes, or disability that prevents you from earning a living as you used to.

Brain Injury Symptoms

For mild brain injuries, you may experience:

• Headaches
• Ear ringing
• Blurred vision
• Memory or concentration problems
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• Excessive fatigue or insomnia
• Sensitivity to light and sound

For moderate to severe brain injuries, symptoms include:

• Loss of consciousness for several minutes to hours
• Falling in and out of consciousness
• A headache that will not go away or that worsens
• Nausea and vomiting
• Convulsions or seizures
• Dilation of one or both pupils
• Loss of coordination
• Inability to wake up
• Weakness or numbness in your hands or feet
• Profound confusion
• Agitation or aggressive behavior
• Slurred speech

If you experience any symptom associated with a brain injury after an auto accident in St. Louis, seek medical treatment immediately. Delaying could severely limit how well you recover, and could limit your financial compensation in the event of a lawsuit.

After getting medical attention, call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation.