MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS-SCHMIDT-SALITA LAW TEAM SPECIALIZES IN CONCUSSION RECOGNITION.
Minnesota Concussion Injury Lawyers on the Schmidt-Salita Law Firm’s Concussion/TBI Team is Minnesota’s Top Personal Injury and Worker’s Compensation firm. They represent the victims of traumatic brain injury and concussion.
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS-EXPERIENCE WITH CONCUSSIONS IN YOUTH SPORTS.
Douglas Schmidt, one of the senior trial lawyer at the Schmidt-Salita Law Team is recognized as one of the top authorities in the Minnesota legal world on the subject of concussion injuries and Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Schmidt has a long history of working to help recognize concussion injuries in youth sports. Nearly 20 years ago, Schmidt served as president of District 6 youth hockey, surveying youth hockey organizations in Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Edina, Bloomington, Richfield, Burnsville, and Apple Valley. In that capacity, he worked with Dr. Mark Stuart at the Mayo Clinic to develop procedures for sideline recognition of concussion injuries in youth hockey.
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS-SPECIAL FOCUS ON CONCUSSIONS IN CAR ACCIDENTS.
Schmidt has carried that special knowledge and experience through to the representation of his clients who have sustained concussion injuries and traumatic brain injuries in car accidents. The Schmidt-Salita Law Team very carefully evaluates the victims of car accidents that come to them to determine whether they have sustained a concussion or traumatic brain injury that has been overlooked by the medical community. They have found that approximately 60% of the victims of car accident injuries, trucking accident injuries, and motorcycle accident injuries have actually sustained a concussion or traumatic brain injury that has been overlooked. The Schmidt-Salita Law Team is dedicated to helping its clients received proper medical care of these concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
Schmidt has been recognized as an authority on early recognition of concussion injuries. He has lectured frequently to Doctors of Chiropractic about the important role that they play in the recognition of concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS KNOW- CONCUSSION IS A TYPE OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
A concussion is the same as a Traumatic Brain Injury. That fact is universally accepted in the medical community.
Mayo Clinic’s online medical information states:
“A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions.”
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS KNOW-THERE ARE MANY SYMPTOMS OF A CONCUSSION.
The symptoms of a concussion or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury are as follows:
headaches, feelings of dizziness, nausea and or vomiting, noise sensitivity (easily upset by loud noise), sleep disturbance, fatigue (tiring more easily), being irritable (easily angered), feeling depressed or tearful, feeling frustrated or impatient, forgetfulness (poor memory), poor concentration, taking longer to think, blurred vision, light sensitivity (easily upset by bright light), double vision, restlessness, Tinnitus.
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS KNOW-POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME IS WHERE THE CONCUSSION/MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SYMPTOMS CONTINUE OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
“Post-Concussion Syndrome” is defined as a complex disorder in which various symptoms of a concussion, such as headaches and dizziness, last longer than just weeks or months immediately following the injury call that caused the concussion. Post-concussion syndrome is the collection of symptoms of a concussion that doesn’t go away in the weeks of months immediately following the injury.
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS KNOW-MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES ARE NOT ALWAYS MILD.
The Report to Congress from the CDC declared that mild traumatic brain injuries are not a minor problem. Instead, they are a major health problem affecting 1.5 million people. 75% of victims of traumatic brain injury have been categorized as mild traumatic brain injuries. Yet, clinical research has provided evidence that mild traumatic brain injuries can cause serious, long-lasting problems.
The American Congress of rehabilitative medicine has declared that mild traumatic brain injury can produce significant functional disability. One study has shown that 23% of mild traumatic brain injury victims do not recover within one year.
MINNESOTA CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYERS KNOW-CONCUSSIONS/MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES OFTEN OCCUR WITHOUT A BLOW TO THE HEAD.
It is indeed a fact that many concussions and traumatic brain injuries occur without a blow to the head. The flexion-extension trauma of a “whiplash” often produces a “snapping” of the head with a high degree of force. It is well accepted in the medical literature that the shaking of the brain inside the skull as a result of whiplash trauma is sufficient to produce a significant concussion or traumatic brain injury.
The Mayo Clinic says that concussions can occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken without an actual blow to the head.
CAR ACCIDENTS ARE A WELL-KNOW CAUSE OF CONCUSSION AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES.
The Mayo Clinic says that car accidents are a common cause of concussion and traumatic brain injuries:
Sudden acceleration-deceleration of the head, resulting from certain events such as a car crash or being violently shaken, also can cause brain injury.,
The Schmidt-Salita Law Team has found that 60% of the victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, and motorcycle accidents have experienced a concussion or traumatic brain injury.
CONCUSSIONS OFTEN OCCUR WITHOUT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
The Mayo Clinic says the majority of concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness.
A “loss of consciousness” can be total or partial. Loss of consciousness is medically defined as a “coma”. Partial loss of consciousness is medically defined as either “stupor” or “lethargy”. “Stupor” is defined as a condition of significant or severe responsiveness. “Lethargy” is defined as a condition of lesser reduced responsiveness.
POST-TRAUMATIC AMNESIA IS AN IMPORTANT INDICATOR OF THE SEVERITY OF THE CONCUSSION INJURY.
The state of confusion that occurs immediately following traumatic brain injury. The state of mental confusion “Post Traumatic Amnesia” (PTA) is the state of mental confusion, which follows immediately after the concussion injury in which the injured person is this oriented, and unable to remember the events that occurred at the time of the injury or immediately following.
It is very common that the injury victim will be able to communicate with others, being able to state his name, Social Security number, and appear to be oriented to time and place, but later be unable to remember much of what happened. It is very typical that posttraumatic amnesia will be intermittent with the injury victim remembering some parts of the event and not others. It is very common for the victims of a car accident to remember the crash, and only remember some events immediately following the crash. For example, it is typical that the injury victim will remember the crash, but not remember how his or her body was tossed around the, will remember only some of the events at the scene of the accident, will not remember the ambulance ride, will remember arriving at the hospital but not remember what medical treatment he or she received at the Emergency Department. This “off and on” intermittent memory is very common.
Medical literature says that the length of the PTA is more important for determining the severity of the injury and to predict the long term consequences than the period of loss of consciousness. For that reason, TBI experts suggest that it is important to attempt to determine how long the PTA is lasted by attempting to define the time when the “off again on again” intermittent memory condition ends. This is often very difficult because many TBI victims have long term memory problems. In short, it can be argued that the period of PTA was never-ending when the victim continues to have memory problems indefinitely.
CONCUSSIONS OCCUR FREQUENTLY IN CAR ACCIDENTS AND OTHER MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH INJURIES.
The online publication of the Mayo Clinic recognizes that car accidents are a frequent cause of concussion and to many brain injuries.
The statistics compiled at the Schmidt-Salita Law Team indicate that 60% of the people who have been involved in a motor vehicle collision, whether a car accident, trucking accident or motorcycle accident that results in moderate to severe property damage have also sustained a concussion or traumatic brain injury.
A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF CONCUSSIONS/TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES ARE NOT DETECTED OR DIAGNOSED IN THE INITIAL MEDICAL EXAM.
Recently, the author of an article that was published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine recognized that emergency room doctors cannot reliably assess a concussion or traumatic brain injury. The author recognized that patients who have suffered a dramatic brain injury often appear normal in the acute clinical presentation.
Further, the author stated that emergency room doctors have no valid way of predicting at the time of injury which patients will subsequently developed a post-concussion syndrome. Research reported in that article indicated that 38% of patients who later develop post-concussion syndrome were discharged from the emergency department without recommendations for any follow-up care and that 80% of mild traumatic brain injury patients will end up suffering persistent neuropsychological symptoms.
MANY SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION/MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY DEVELOP PROGRESSIVELY OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. VICTIMS OF CONCUSSION ARE OFTEN NOT AWARE OF THEIR CONCUSSION.
In a very large percentage of cases, the victim of a concussion is not aware of the presence of the concussion injury.
Statistics from the US Department of Defense have established that nearly 20% of the soldiers returning from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq have been determined, on post-deployment medical examination, to have sustained a concussion injury of which they were not aware and had received no medical attention.
Recently, Minnesota football player quarterback Mitch Leidner suffered a concussion in middle of the 3rd Quarter. He continued to play, calling the plays with mental efficiency while also passing and running with a high level of physical skill. It was not until three days later, that he was diagnosed with a concussion. As a result, he was kept out of the next two games. This is an example of how a concussion injury does not have an immediate effect and, instead, has a delayed onset.
VISUAL PROBLEMS ARE OFTEN A PART OF THE SYMPTOM COMPLEX.
It has long been recognized that blurred or double vision is a symptom that is often present in the acute stage of a concussion injury. For that reason, the simple test of counting fingers has long been used as a very rudimentary screening tool.
More sophisticated research has now indicated that many long term. Significant visual impairments follow concussion injuries, with a sufficient frequency. These impairments include:
–Convergence insufficiency is the reduced ability of eyes to focus from near to far vision and back.
–Slowed saccades is a condition where the eyes have reduced ability to track horizontally, vertically, and in circles.
–Photophobia is increased sensitivity to bright lights.
–Fourth nerve palsy is a condition where the two eyes do not track together.
The services of a Board Certified Neuro-Ophthalmologist can be of value to the victims of visual disturbances following a traumatic brain injury. In some cases, corrective eyeglass lens can serve to reduce the negative effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on the victim.
THE LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ARE NOW RECOGNIZED.
In recent months and years, there has been a significant raise public awareness of the long-term dangers and consequences of traumatic brain injuries.
Starting in 2012, the public became aware of the existence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in professional football players. CTE is now recognized as a condition of brain deterioration typically beginning 8 to 10 years after the football player experiences repetitive a mild traumatic brain injury. The first stage of this disorder includes the deterioration of attention, and disorientation, dizziness, and chronic headaches. The second stage involves progressive deterioration of cognitive functions, including memory loss, erratic behavior, and poor judgment. The first, third, and fourth stages involve progressive dementia with slowing of muscular movements, speech dysfunction, tremors, vertigo/balance problems, progressive deafness, and mental disorders, such as suicidality.
The existence of CTE has been objectively proven by postmortem pathology examination of brain tissue. The pathologist that first discovered this condition and called it to public attention has stated that the medical community was actually the last sector of our society to recognize and accept this problem!!!
The National Football League (NFL) has reached a settlement with professional football players that involve the payment of $765 million in potential compensation.
Within the last year, a federal district court judge in Chicago gave approval to a head injury settlement between student-athletes and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Under the terms of this proposed settlement $70 million funds was to be established to test for brain trauma.
Other literature has proven that psychological illnesses frequently follow a traumatic brain injury consequence. Other literature has established that seizure disorders also are well recognized long-term consequences of a traumatic brain injury.
Other literature has established that the victims of a traumatic brain injury are at increased risk for the development of yet another subsequent traumatic brain injury with lesser trauma and with more severe consequences.
LET THE SCHMIDT-SALITA LAW TEAM BRING JUSTICE TO YOUR CONCUSSION OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
Even though there has been considerable public focus on the severity of concussion and traumatic brain injuries, there remains a considerable reluctance on the part of medical doctors, insurance adjusters, insurance company lawyers, and juries to accept and recognize those consequences. For that reason, it is important that the victims of concussion and traumatic brain injuries have the support of personal injury and worker’s compensation lawyers who are skilled and experienced in the recognition of these injuries and know how to properly present evidence that will support fair compensation to the victims.
The skilled personal injury and worker’s compensation lawyers at the Schmidt-Salita Law Team are 5 star rated by their clients for their legal skills and for the care and attention that they bring to the representation of the victims of personal injury, worker’s compensation and wrongful death, especially the victims of concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
For a free consultation with a lawyer regarding your injury claim, contact the Schmidt-Salita Law Team at www.schmidtlaw.org or call 952-473-4530.
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 , 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 offer 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.
http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/
https://medlineplus.gov/traumaticbraininjury.html
http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/understanding-tbi/what-is-traumatic-brain-injury/
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/basics/definition/con-20029302
Courage Center (Courage Kenny): www.allinahealth.org/Health-Conditions-and-Treatments/Neurology/Concussions-in-sports
http://thebrainhealthonlinesummit.com
Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance: www.braininjurymn.org
Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/traumatic-brain-injury-program/overview
https://www.brainline.org/tbi-basics
https://www.brainline.org/landing_pages/categories/concussion.html
http://www.healthline.com/health/concussion
https://www.brainline.org/article/get-stats-traumatic-brain-injury-united-states-2002%E2%80%942006