The Minnesota Concussion Injury Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have extensive experience in bringing justice to the victims of concussion injuries and traumatic brain injuries. That experience allows the Schmidt Salita Law Team to provide legal help to the victims of concussion injuries at a higher level of competence.
The Minnesota Concussion Injury Lawyers wish to share the following research published by Dr. Erin D. Bigler, Dr. Bigler is the single most respected neuropsychologist in the world. He has received the Distinguished Neuropsychologist Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology. He is the co-author of Neuropsychological Assessment which is in its 5th edition. He is the author of 11 textbooks and over 300 peer-reviewed medical and scientific journal articles.
The paper that he presented at the time of his Distinguished Neuropsychologist Award is considered a highly respected treatise. In that paper, Dr. Bigler makes the following points:
- Human Brains do not respond as a “crash test dummy” in a “controlled situation. Different people can have quite different results from the same forces.
Dr. Bigler states that “…rarely will the MVA be something akin to the controlled head injury produced in the laboratory. …in accidental human TBI there is no “controlled” injury. At the time of the injury, every patient brings to that accident a unique set of circumstances and anatomy. The force dynamics of injury will be distinctive to each accident, as will the patient’s anatomy and physiology along with genetic endowment. Each patient’s response to injury will be unique, particularly in terms of metabolic and vascular reactions. Thus, two patients, of similar age and sex, can be in the same accident (i.e. both seat-belted in the back seat of a vehicle that is hit dead-center, head-on) and come away with very different injuries and sequelae.”
- Individual results of TBI vary widely based on a number of different factors.
Dr. Bigler states that “Because individual brains are unique compositions of genetic endowment and environmental interaction, brain-behavior relationships will, in large part, be unique for each individual, with the exception of some dedicated motor and sensory pathways. * * * Neurologically, TBI can result in just about any type of behavioral deficit. * * * …problems related to personality-temperament changes would predominate the clinical picture.”
- Even subtle forces of trauma can cause major disruptions of the brain’s ability to function:
Dr. Bigler notes that his research shows that even a “subtle” or minor force can result in significant brain damage. He states that “Any stretch, any twisting, or compression (of brain tissue) has the potential to alter the physical status of the cell and/or vessel. Moderate to severe physical forces have the potential to sever, rupture or fracture these delicate structures. * * * Complex systems achieve complex functions only with efficient, well integrated, and fast recruitment of constituent parts, followed by a rapid response. Anything that disrupts this complex system, even subtly, will render the system less efficient and prone to errors in processing and responding.
While damage may be seen in a localized area, it should always be kept in mind that these movement forces…affect the entire brain. * * * Likewise, a patient may have a focal clinical deficit (hemiplegia), but even a focal deficit in the TBI patient is certainly superimposed on a more general pathology beyond the discrete boundaries producing the focal neurological deficit. The diffuse nature of brain injury is the common theme of this paper.”
Factors affecting the results include the existence of prior concussion injuries. Some studies assert that a person can be at a 3 times greater risk for concussion injury after the first. After the second, they can be at an 8 times greater risk.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team Handles a Wide Variety of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claims.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian car accidents, and bicycle accidents. It has many years’ experience in workers compensation , products liability and medical malpractice cases.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team has extensive experience with concussion injuries, traumatic brain injuries, neck and back injuries, whiplash injuries, broken bones, injured joint injuries (knee, hip, shoulder, wrist, ankle, spinal), amputation injuries, and vision and eye injuries.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team has offices through out the State of Minnesota. Its primary location is at Ridgedale Office Center in Minnetonka, near the intersection of I394 and I494. The offices are ground level, handicap accessible with ample parking.
The Schmidt Salita Team Offers Contingent Fee Arrangements.
The firm offers contingent fee agreements (You don’t pay lawyers fees until you collect and then only as a percentage of the settlement). It also offers home and hospital visits to clients whose injuries present difficulty in coming to the office.
“PERSONAL INJURY WITH PERSONAL ATTENTION TO EACH CASE”.
The Schmidt Salita Law Team has locations throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Osseo, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Blaine, Shoreview, Woodbury, Falcon Heights, Columbia Park, Stillwater, Hastings, Inver Grove, Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Savage, Shakopee, Richfield, Bloomington, Chaska, Chanhassen, Edina, Eden Prairie, and Hopkins.
