The Injury Lawyer Blog

Illinois is trying to take the characteristic injury of the Iraq war, traumatic brain injury, head on, as it launched a new program designed to give special assistance to veterans who have suffered the injury or have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This comes after a recent study which suggests that the memory loss, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and other problems suggests that these are related to the psychological, rather than the physical injury suffered during war. The study also showed that soldiers who lost consciousness were most likely to suffer PTSD, about 44% of soliders who lost consciousness during time at the front suffered PTSD, as compared to 16 % of soldiers who never lost consciousness.

The US Army estimates that as many as 20% of soldiers sustain traumatic brain injury during their deployment.

The Illinois Warriors Assistance Program offers a PTSD help line and free phone screening for traumatic brain injury for all Illinois veterans. It also mandates that all returning Illinois National Guard soldiers returning from overseas undergo brain injury screening.

The army studies and the state acknowledgement that these people need assistance does much to validate the severity of even mild traumatic brain injuries, which many insurance companies try to diminish. If you have suffered a brain injury in Chicago as a result of an auto accident or other cause, you need an experienced Chicago brain injury lawyer. Don't suffer in silence, please contact The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today for a free consultation.

Labels: brain injury, Illinois, military

The Federal Government accepted a $750,000 settlement in the medical malpractice case of a woman who died after receiving eight surgeries at the Jacksonville Naval Hospital in just over a month in 2005. In the wrongful death suit, the woman's family accused the Navy of doctor error and failure to transfer her to another facility. The woman arrived at the hospital complaining of stomach pain, then died of a blood infection.

This is only the latest case to be settled at the facility with one of the highest per capita malpractice rates of any hospital in the country. This case follows over $70 million in payouts from the hospital in 2005 for a half-dozen cases, including several wrongful deaths, and precedes five more pending malpractice cases against the military hospital.

If you or someone you love has suffered as a result of the substandard care at this or any other US government institution, contact Fuller & Fuller, a family of lawyers with years of experience.

Labels: hospital misconduct, medical malpractice, military, wrongful death

The army technology that was developed to track traumatic brain injuries suffered by troops in the field as a result of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is ready for deployment and will soon see service in Afghanistan.

Soldiers equipped with this device, which we have discussed here in some detail, will be deployed to Afghanistan this spring, even as calls for greater NATO involvement in the area seem to be falling on deaf ears and Taliban-aligned insurgents are gaining in strength.

The new head impact monitoring system, which was developed by New Hampshire company Simbex, is similar to helmets used to monitor impacts suffered by college and high school football players on the field.

IEDs are responsible for almost 80% of all casualties and 60% of all fatalities suffered by US troops in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. It is hoped that the helmets will help Army commanders determine exactly how IEDs cause traumatic brain injury. This program precedes a new $ 150 million TBI study authorized by Congress as part of the most recent appropriations bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As we have discussed in previous posts, concussions can be far more dangerous when suffered in succession. Soldiers who return to combat after suffering a minor concussion may be setting themselves up for more serious injury next time. It is hoped that the new helmet monitors will be able to inform medics when to keep soldiers off patrol for a couple weeks.

If you have suffered a TBI, chances are you were not wearing a specially-equipped helmet that can measure the level of trauma you suffered. In that case, you need an experienced brain injury lawyer to prove to your insurance company the level of your suffering and help you receive the compensation you deserve. If you are in Texas, contact Jim Adler & Associates to get the representation you need.

Labels: brain injury, military

The Army is dispatching support specialists to counsel injured servicemen and –women who are applying for benefits under the Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. Although every injured servicemember who cannot perform the normal tasks of daily life for a period of at least 30 days is eligible for up to $100,000 dollars. However, currently only about 40% of the claims for this benefit are approved, not because the claims are not valid, but because they do not have the level of documentation the army requires for proof. Some cases are easy to prove, such as the loss of a limb, severe burns, traumatic brain injury, or spinal-cord injuries. However, servicemembers who suffer severe wounds to limbs that are saved, or that suffer more mild forms of brain injury but are still dependent on others for dressing, bathing, toileting, or eating, often do not provide the level of documentation necessary for approval.

The counseling specialists have been dispatched to Walter Reed Army Medical Center (AMC), Brooke AMC, William Beaumont AMC, Womack AMC, and Eisenhower AMC, and will soon be in place in almost another half-dozen AMCs across the country.

This move is an attempt to help the large number of wounded, especially the number of troops with head injuries, to get the help they need to adjust back after their injuries.

The Army feels a responsibility for those who are injured on duty, but unfortunately for most of us when we are injured, no one steps forward to help. If you have suffered a life-impairing injury, consult the personal injury lawyers at the Glick Law Firm, P.A, who are prepared to stand up against the powerful interests that hurt you.

Labels: brain injury, military