Manhattan Brain Injury Lawyer

At Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC, our Manhattan Brain Injury Lawyer staff works hard to help people suffering from the effects of traumatic brain injury recover the damages they deserve so they are able to pay for their medical bills and put their lives back on track. Our research shows that nearly 1.7 million Americans suffer from traumatic brain injury annually. The Center for Disease Control's statistics show that of the 1.7 million people who have sustained a brain injury, 52,000 die; 275,000 experience long-term hospital stays; and 1.3 million are treated and released.

A brain injury usually results from a serious blow or jolt to the head, which leads to a dysfunction within the brain. A head injury incurred in an accident can range from mild to life-threatening. A person can experience a brief period of unconsciousness all the way up to long-term memory loss. Depending on the injury, the brain damage can either affect a small part of the brain or it may involve many areas, which can lead to the loss of a number of bodily functions.

Our Manhattan Brain Injury Attorney has conducted research which reveals that brain injury most often results from falls (including slip-and-fall incidents), auto accident, sports-related accidents and violent assaults. In some cases, the injury is caused by the negligence of another party, business or entity. If you or a loved family member recently suffered a traumatic brain injury, you should consider calling Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC and our Manhattan Brain Injury Lawyer team to review your legal options.

The CDC statistics go on to show that the percentages of brain injuries are caused by:

• Falls = 35.2%
• Motor vehicle accident = 17.3% However, this category involves the highest numbers of deaths from brain injury at 31.8%
• Being struck by or against an object = 16.5%
• Physical assault = 10%

New York's statistics are quite similar to the national averages. The main causes of hospitalization because of brain injury and skull injury among New Yorkers are falls, motor vehicle accidents, which include sub-categories for motorcycle accident, car accident, SUV accident and truck accident and injury sustained in assaults. According to ER statistics, New Yorkers are more prone to brain injuries as a result of falls, getting hit with an object and vehicular accidents.

Brain injury – like many injuries – can take many forms. Skull fracture occurs when a bone in the head breaks due to being struck with an object or striking the head against an object, i.e., hitting your head against the car's dashboard in a car accident or getting hit with a baseball during a game. A basal skull fracture happens when the bones at the base of the skull break. This is less common than a traditional skull fracture and usually happens when a person falls backward and strikes their head either on the ground or on another object. Falling on your back can also result in what is known as an occipital fracture, which involves breakage of the occipital bone at the back of the head.

Other injuries to the brain can include epidural hematoma, which is a situation where blood pools in the skull but outside of the brain tissue. Subdural hematoma is a similar injury, but instead the blood accumulates directly on the brain. Research conducted by our Manhattan Brain Injury Lawyer team demonstrates that this type of injury can be the most severe because of how fast the brain can fill with blood, which causes compression of the brain tissue.

A more common brain injury is called a cerebral edema, brain edema or brain swell. This happens when too much fluid builds up within the brain. Both a brain contusion and concussion are also common types of brain injuries and involve bruising of the brain tissue.

While each of these injuries range in their severity, there are times when the attending physicians may opt for a craniotomy, which is a procedure where the surgeon removes a portion of the skull in order to gain access to the brain.

The most common form of brain injury is the concussion. Statistics show that nearly 75% of all brain injuries are some degree of concussion. Like other brain injuries, a concussion can vary in damage and severity. Most concussions do not require any extended medical treatment while the more severe type can result in coma.

The Manhattan Brain Injury Attorney at our firm have also learned that eye orbital fracture is a serious blow-out fracture that can result from the negligence of another person. This injury occurs when the bone surrounding the eye breaks, usually from some form of trauma or impact.

Brain damage and injury can also be the result of physician error or carelessness. In these instances, the victim may want to contact our firm to discuss a medical malpractice suit against the health care providers.

Trying to recover from a brain injury can be difficult especially if the injury was severe, which is why you should consider having an experienced Manhattan Brain Injury Lawyer from Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC on your side to assist you.

Light to moderate brain injury can cause the person to lose consciousness for a short time; however, a person may sustain serious brain damage and not feel any immediate effects, other than a headache. This is why it is vital to seek immediate emergency medical attention if you ever experience a violent blow to the head. Even if you do not feel anything wrong, the damage may be there and may worsen over time.

A person who has experienced brain injury may slur their speech, have trouble remembering where they are, seem disoriented or dizzy and have difficulty obeying commands.

Other signs that a person should seek emergency medical assistance include:

• long period of unconsciousness or difficulty waking up
• difficulty controlling one side of their body
• radical changes in sleep patterns
• seizures or convulsions
• dilated pupils, blurred vision, double vision or blindness
• penetrating wounds of the head
• evidence of a depressed skull fracture
• loss of mental acuity, confusion or trouble concentrating
• light-headedness or dizziness
• behavioral or mood changes including restlessness or agitation
• severe and prolonged headache
• frequent vomiting or nausea
• numbness in the hands or feet
• loss of balance or coordination

In severe cases of brain injury the victim can become permanently disabled and can experience speech and movement problems for the rest of their life. A severe head injury can also result in delusions, mental problems, spinal injury, mobility problems and even wrongful death. It's important not only for you to get the proper medical care for your injury, but also to seek the counsel of a good Manhattan Brain Injury Lawyer who can help you deal with your medical expenses.

Our New York Injury lawyers have years of experience in litigating personal injury cases and have helped thousands of victims involved in motor vehicle accident, wrongful death, medical malpractice case, slip and fall, construction accident case and other types of personal injury cases. Our years of experience can help us successfully obtain the fair amount of compensation needed to help you deal with your medical expenses as well as the day-to-day challenges of the effects of your injury.

If you or a loved family member has sustained a traumatic brain injury, please contact our firm for a free consultation and a review of your legal options. You can find us online or by calling Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC at 800.696.9529. We also have convenient offices throughout the New York area in New York City, Manhattan, Staten Island, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Westchester County and in the Long Island area in Nassau County or Suffolk County.