Brain and Spinal Cord Lawyers

Physicians are entrusted with the well-being of their patients. But sometimes even doctors make mistakes. These mistakes may sometimes be relatively minor. However there are times that they can be the cause of permanent injuries or even death. These medical mistakes are more commonly called medical malpractice.

The Institute of Medicine has said that medical malpractice is one of the top ten causes of death in the US.

Medical mistakes such as these, which can change lives for the worse and even result in death, are especially difficult for a parent to deal with when it happens to their child.

One of the most common forms of medical malpractice occurs when doctors fail to diagnose bacterial meningitis amongst children.

It is especially important that a doctor does not miss the signs of bacterial meningitis. That’s because a delay in diagnosis can significantly reduce the chances that a person will survive. However, if bacterial meningitis is detected early and aggressively treated it can be cured.

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What is Meningitis?

Meningitis is the inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the spinal cord and brain. It could be caused by bacteria, viruses, other microorganisms, and on occasion by certain drugs.

Meningitis is classified as a medical emergency because the inflammation is so close to the brain and spinal cord that it can be life-threatening.

The kinds of bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis vary by the age of the victim. In newborns up to 3 months of age, and premature babies, the most common causes are group B streptococci. Children under five are often affected by Haemophilus influenza type B (in countries that do not offer the pneumococcal vaccine). Older children are usually affected by Streptococcus pneumonia and Neisseria meningitides.

Ten percent of the people who are afflicted with bacterial meningitis die. Many others suffer from permanent damages that include hearing loss, brain damage, and learning disabilities.

One of the main reasons that this can happen is because too many doctors do not properly diagnose and treat the condition. Doctors should, at the first sign of the disease, request a spinal tap in order to confirm their diagnosis. If they do not order a spinal tap it could result in their being liable for malpractice.

What are the Symptoms of Bacterial Meningitis?

The preliminary symptoms of meningitis include headache, a stiff neck and high fever. It may take only several hours or up to one to two days for these symptoms to develop.

Additional symptoms might include vomiting, nausea, discomfort when looking at bright lights, sleepiness, and confusion.

However headache, fever, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to detect in small infants.

Originally published here.

It has long been suspected that repetitive head injury can have consequences well into the future. Studies that have focused on athletes, in particular, have found correlation between repetitive head injury and brain disease occurring years later, long after their athletic careers are over.

Head injury is a term used to describe any trauma to the head, particularly to the brain. Head injuries may be caused by either penetrating or blunt trauma. Penetrating injuries, as the term implies, result when an object penetrates the skull. Bullets, knives and other sharp objects may cause this type of head injury. Blunt trauma occurs from a direct blow to the head or as a result of a decelerating force.

The symptoms of head injury vary, ranging from mild and transient effects to immediate death. Mild concussion often results from a fall or blunt trauma. Symptoms of a concussion may include a brief loss of conscience, nausea and vomiting, and blurred vision. Occasionally, concussions cause long term effects such as insomnia, difficulty with concentration or memory and irritability. Several studies have focused on post-concussion syndrome in athletes.

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Now there is new evidence published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology linking repetitive head injury with the development of Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). ALS is a progressive, usually fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. People who have ALS experience progressive weakening of their muscles, including muscles of the chest wall which eventually impedes breathing and causes death from asphyxiation.

The study focused on ten deceased former athletes, all of whom had sustained multiple concussions. Three of the athletes had been diagnosed with ALS. After studying the brains and spinal cords of the subjects, it was found that the three athletes who had ALS had proteins associated with ALS in both their spinal cords and brains. Previous studies have found that people who have never suffered a concussion do not have this protein in either their brain or spinal cord. In addition, this protein is not present in the spinal cords of people with ALS. The fact that the deceased athletes had this protein in both structures (brain and spinal cord) led researchers to conclude that the athletes had a condition similar to ALS, and that repetitive head injury was the likely cause of this condition.

The study was a small one, but the researchers involved in the study felt that the evidence was highly suggestive of a link between repetitive head injury and an ALS-like disease. More evidence is needed to strengthen the data.

Other studies have shown links between ALS and being a soccer player, football player or a military veteran, prompting interest in finding the reason why ALS occurs more frequently in these groups. This current study strengthens the idea that ALS, or an ALS-like condition, may be the result of head injury that is repetitive.

Originally published here.

Generally speaking, around ten noteworthy birth miss happenings crop up per one thousand live births in the United States. A birth grievance basically takes place during a child delivery. There are numerous reasons that results in a birth injury. Occasionally, it is caused owing to the medical malpractices. In case of an unprofessional medical conduct, the parents of an offended child have full right to receive economic reimbursement for the damage their child has faced.

Possible Injury for Which you may receive a Compensation

1. Brain Damage
Brain injuries that are the commonest of all damages occur at the time of labor, usually due to lack of oxygen or internal bleeding. Cerebral Palsy, a harmful brain disease, causes damage to the delicate cerebrum nerve cells. The infant suffering from this disease has a limited control on his body movements. He may have a limited mental capacity.

2. Brachial Plexus
Occasionally, doctors don’t evaluate the actual size of the newborn. If the little one is too bulky, it may get stuck in the birth canal at the time of delivery. Some tiny tots even experience clavicle fractures while getting through the narrow passage of the birth canal.

Brachial Plexus is yet another form of brain damage that is caused under those circumstances where, the toddler’s shoulders are wedged inside its mom’s pelvis. This condition is termed as “Shoulder Dystopia” where, due to stress and strain on the shoulders, the delicate nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord get damaged.

3. Forced Extraction
In addition to these, several other pre-natal and after birth problems occur due to the negligence of the gynecologists. If the tools and equipments used during the course of the delivery are mishandled, the youngster may undergo bruising on his scalp, thereby, resulting in internal bleeding within his skull.

Legal Responsibility of the Doctors for Medical Negligence at the time of Birth

A lot of birth damages, including the pre-natal ones, can be treated fruitfully. If they are located at an early stage of development, it becomes easy to diagnose them. But, unfortunately, there are numerous such incidents where a newborn is forced to go through these miserable disabilities throughout his life, due to the unprofessional activities of the medical personals. If an injury comes about as a product of medical negligence, the guilty physicians and the concerned sanatoriums are held legally responsible.

If your child is suffering from an untold misery like this, you have full right to wedge a legal suit against the concerned doctors. You will be provided with medical claim and a compensation amount.

Originally published here.