Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In most of our cases where a victim has sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the attorney for the defendant and their insurance companies always try to negate the injury or in severe cases greatly minimize the consequences. Unfortunately, the issue of traumatic brain injury goes beyond each individual case, the victim, and the betrayer.

In the early 1990’s, the United States government began to publish studies of traumatic brain injury and traumatic stress. The studies sought to clarify the impact of traumatic brain injuries on a victims everyday life. The National Institute of Health, the world’s largest government sponsored research institute spends approximately $80 million dollars on (TBI) traumatic brain injury research which has concluded that most people who sustain a traumatic brain injury will suffer lasting damage to their short term memory and problem solving abilities. The prognosis and diagnosis of traumatic brain injury is generally confirmed by objective and subjective testing administered by a neuropsychiatrist over a period of a few hours or days. Traumatic brain injury occurs at various levels and involves an injury to the brain due to a sudden trauma. Many times unfortunately, TBI often goes undiagnosed.

The major causes of TBI (traumatic brain injury) are a motorcycle accident, car accident, truck accident, bicycle crash, or an explosion blast very close to the head. Millions of people in the United States sustain some form of TBI each year. However, most people with mild TBI do not go to the emergency room or ever report these injuries to their doctor. Common symptoms caused by a TBI (traumatic brain injury); are headaches, ringing in the ears, mood changes, trouble remembering or inability to concentrate for long periods of time, depression, affectation of sleeping habits, anxiety, lethargy, and the inability to enjoy routine events daily. Many of our clients have reported feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or thoughts of suicide. In almost all cases involving TBI, the insurance company or lawyer for the defendant will hire what we refer to as a “paid painted lady” expert to vigorously refute all claims of TBI as they attempt to vigorously defend mostly all of these claims and boldly pronounce the findings as “nonsense”. Traumatic brain injury is the “real deal” as recognized by the United States government and other prominent medical scholars.

If you or a loved one has sustained an injury to your head, or has been a victim of any of the accidents stated above, it pays to contact an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer for a free, no obligation consultation. The experienced Philadelphia car accident and defective auto product liability lawyers of Reiff and Bily have over 30 years of experience successfully representing traumatic brain injury victims and making sure that their claims are heard and understood. If the federal government and scholars think that TBI is a big deal, we will not let the insurance company or their representatives minimize it and tell you that it’s not. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Recently one of the major automobile manufacturers confidentially resolved a case involving brain damage to a driver who was at fault during the accident. Counsel was able to demonstrate that the failure to provide side curtain airbags and lack of side laminated glass caused massive head trauma and resulting brain damage when the vehicle experienced multiple rollovers. The attorneys were able to demonstrate that the technology to provide operating side-impact airbags existed long before this catastrophic incident occurred and that the automobile manufacturers simply decided that it was not necessary to place side curtain airbags in the vehicle or provide glazed or laminated glass when in fact the same was being provided in other countries. Obviously, the automobile manufacturer felt that they could make more profits by their actions.

At the Philadelphia car accident and automotive product liability and airbag defect law firm of Reiff and Bily, we understand that safety is priority number one. If you or a loved one had been involved in a car accident involving an airbag failure defect, it costs nothing to contact one of our experienced airbag and auto product liability lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation. We are experienced in thinking “out of the box”. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Imagine this scene, in a split second you are in a car accident. Without warning, your head and neck are violently thrust about in an acceleration/deceleration type movement also known as whiplash injury. Even without a direct hit to the head, the brain is composed of several pounds of a soft like substance violently thrown about the inside of the skull. The inner surface of the skull is not smooth and contains several ribbed or bony structures, and if the brain is violently thrust in one of these structures, a serious brain injury can occur. Many people will visit the emergency room with a headache or nausea or vomiting and be sent home. They will continue to experience memory loss, irritability, depression, a feeling of malaise, inability to concentrate, and not be able to visualize any objective symptoms. What they may not know is that their brain has been injured. There may be an internal brain bleed , tearing of tissue, or a swelling of the brain against the cranium which could lead to an intracranial hematoma. If the impact with the skull is severe enough, blood vessels inside the brain may break leading to a hemorrhage. Unfortunately many times this situation goes undiagnosed as people proudly claim that there is nothing wrong with them.

As an experienced motor vehicle accident lawyer since 1979, I have unfortunately seen the sobering effects resulting in long term disabilities caused by traumatic brain injury resulting from a motor vehicle accident. Each year in America, more people will sustain a traumatic brain injury then will be struck by heart attacks. Experts claim it is “the silent epidemic” as a traumatic brain injury or closed head injury caused by whiplash or an impact to the head often does not have visible signs yet can cause significant damage. Many people are tempted to just discuss it as a small bump on the head.

If you were involved in a car accident and sustained a violent whiplash injury or strike your head, it is necessary to receive a complete evaluation so that you do not become one of the walking wounded walking around with an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury. The experienced closed head trauma and traumatic brain injury and motor vehicle accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are well versed in this arena and always offer a free, no obligation consultation to anyone who has been involved in a significant motor vehicle or car accident. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are all too familiar with closed head injuries caused by car accidents that the average person may not recognize. Recently the family of one of our injured clients was noting that their 48-year-old mother was manifesting what they described as strange behavioral patterns. She was becoming extremely anxious, agitated and exhibiting bouts of unrecognizable anger. She was also complaining of memory loss and taking the wrong medication. When I met with this woman she was exhibiting confusion. Not so surprisingly, she struck her head on a pillar inside the vehicle at the time of the accident. She was referred for a neurological and psychological evaluation and it was diagnosed that she sustained a mild brain injury as the result of a closed head trauma.

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