Los Angeles Severe TBI Lawyer — Mardirossian Akaragian LLP

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Have You Suffered a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury? Our Firm Can Help

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating condition caused by a significant impact, blow, or penetrating head injury that results in extensive brain damage. It is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires urgent and intensive care. Survivors often face long-term or lifelong health problems that can affect all aspects of their lives. When the negligence or wrongful actions of others cause severe TBI, pursuing legal compensation becomes crucial to alleviate the financial burden of medical and rehabilitation costs.

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Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Resources In This Article:

What is Severe Traumatic Brain Injury?
Symptoms of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Long-Term Effects of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Treatment and Rehabilitation of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Compensation and Liability for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

What is Severe Traumatic Brain Injury?

Severe traumatic brain injury, which occurs when the brain sustains extensive damage from a violent impact or forceful movement of the head, is associated with thousands of deaths each year in the United States. When not fatal, severe TBI results in a wide range of impairments that significantly affect a person’s physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional, and social well being. The prognosis can be highly variable, with some victims experiencing partial recovery with long-term therapy, while others face permanent disabilities.

In some cases of severe TBI, the damage is substantial enough to cause prolonged loss of consciousness — usually progressing through the stages of coma, vegetative state, and minimally conscious state — or post-traumatic amnesia that lasts more than a week. Even with non-penetrating injuries, imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans will show significant abnormalities and bleeding in the brain, reflecting the severity of the injury.

Causes of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Severe traumatic brain injury can arise from a variety of circumstances and present as a closed (or non-penetrating) or open (penetrating) injury. Some of the most common causes of severe TBI include:

Falls from significant heights — including rooftops, ladders, or down flights of stairs — are a common cause of severe TBI and the leading cause of TBI-related hospitalizations in the United States. Adults over the age of 65 and children under the age of 17 are particularly vulnerable to fall-related TBI.

Firearm-related incidents, including accidental or intentional shootings such as those in a wrongful death by police case, are among the most common causes of penetrating TBI in the United States. The impact of a high-velocity bullet or shrapnel can cause significant damage to brain tissue, resulting in catastrophic injury.

Severe traumatic brain injury can occur as a result of motor vehicle accidents, whether they involve cars, motorcycles, bicycles, or pedestrians. The force of the impact during a collision can result in both penetrating and non-penetrating head injuries. This is the most common cause of severe TBI in young adults.

Symptoms of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

In this Section:

Physical Symptoms
Cognitive Symptoms
Emotional Symptoms

People who sustain a severe traumatic brain injury are likely to experience a wide range of symptoms. As in all forms of TBI, these symptoms may manifest immediately after the traumatic injury, or they may develop hours, days, or weeks later — as well as evolve over time. They are often grouped into three categories: physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms.

Physical symptoms

The physical symptoms of severe traumatic brain injury can be serious and life-threatening. They include:

prolonged loss of consciousness, including coma and vegetative states;
seizures or convulsions;
severe and persistent headaches that do not respond to common medication;
persistent nausea or vomiting;
blood or clear fluid from the nose or ears;
weakness or numbness in the extremities;
enlarged or unresponsive pupils in one or both eyes.

Cognitive symptoms

Some of the cognitive symptoms commonly associated with severe traumatic brain injury include:

confusion and disorientation;
severe memory deficits, including anterograde and retrograde amnesia;
difficulty understanding and processing information;
impaired attention and concentration;
inability to communicate effectively;

Emotional symptoms

The brain damage associated with severe traumatic brain injury can present with significant behavioral changes and emotional challenges, including:

increased agitation and restlessness;
severe mood fluctuations and emotional instability;
uncharacteristic aggressiveness or impulsive behavior;
depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Long-Term Effects of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Beyond the more immediate effects of the acute trauma, severe traumatic brain injury can have profound and lasting consequences for survivors, resulting in a lifetime of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social challenges.

Long-term effects of severe TBI may include:

Persistent cognitive difficulties — Severe TBI survivors may continue to struggle with memory problems, concentration, decision-making processes, retaining new information, and multitasking.
Emotional and behavioral alterations — Mood swings, irritability, and emotional instability can significantly affect relationships and everyday life. Survivors may also experience anxiety and depression as a result of their injury.
Physical impairments — Physical symptoms such as chronic headaches, dizziness, and fatigue may continue to affect survivors long after the initial injury. Problems with balance and coordination may impair their mobility and impact their daily activities.
Reduced life expectancy — Even with inpatient rehabilitation services, individuals with severe TBI may be at increased risk for seizures, drug intoxication, infections, and pneumonia.
Increased risk of complications — Research suggests a plausible link between severe TBI and two related conditions: demyelination (damage to the protective layer of nerves) and white matter loss (reduction in the nerve fiber connectivity). This may heighten the susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Treatment and Rehabilitation of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

In this section:

Intensive Care
Physical Therapy
Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Cognitive Therapy

The treatment and rehabilitation of severe traumatic brain injury is a complex process that requires a holistic and multidisciplinary approach. In the acute phase, the focus is on stabilizing the patient and preventing further brain injury. In the rehabilitation phase, the goal is to help the patient regain lost function and improve overall quality of life. Various forms of therapy are used to address the physical, cognitive, and emotional aspects of recovery.

Intensive Care

The immediate focus of intensive care is to stabilize and keep the patient alive, including making sure the brain gets enough oxygen, controlling blood and intracranial pressure, and preventing further injury to the brain. Whether the injury is closed or penetrating, surgical intervention is often required — as are mechanical ventilation, sedation, and the use of medications to control brain swelling. Neurocritical care specialists work with trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that the patient’s condition is continually assessed and managed.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy plays a key role in the management of the physical consequences of severe traumatic brain injury. Therapists design personalized exercise programs to help patients regain mobility and reduce the risk of falls.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is essential for individuals who have difficulty communicating due to severe traumatic brain injury. Therapists work with patients to regain language skills and improve overall communication abilities.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps people with severe traumatic brain injury regain functional independence in their everyday life. Therapists focus on developing adaptive strategies and improving fine motor skills.

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy is essential for addressing cognitive deficits resulting from severe traumatic brain injury. Therapists use a variety of techniques to help patients compensate for memory and attention problems so that they can better perform daily tasks.

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Compensation & Liability For Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

When a severe traumatic brain injury occurs as a result of someone else’s actions, the person affected or their family may be entitled to compensation for damages, including medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has sustained a severe TBI, our team is ready to help you pursue legal action. To learn more about the impact of a brain injury, please visit our brain injuries page.

Contact Mardirossian Akaragian LLP

If you or a loved one has sustained a Severe TBI as a result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you may be entitled to compensation for past, present and future medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Our firm offers exceptional talent, abundant resources, tireless dedication and years of experience to give you the best chance of success in obtaining maximum compensation. Led by our award-winning attorneys Garo Mardirossian and Armen Akaragian, we are prepared to provide you with the aggressive representation and personalized legal guidance you need.

Talk to a Los Angeles brain injury lawyer about your case, or contact our firm to schedule a no-cost consultation.