Minnesota Accidents

Minnesota Whiplash Lawyer Addresses Seriousness of Whiplash Injuries

Jason C. Brown — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:12:07 -0600

A whiplash injury occurs when a sudden force causes your head and neck to jerk forward and backward, suddenly and uncontrollably. These injuries are often seen in auto accidents, especially in rear ending collisions. These injuries can also occur while playing contact sports, as a result of an object falling on the head or as a result of a violent blow to the head. They may also be caused by repetitive stress on the neck muscles, like tilting the head at a single angle for a long period of time.

Whiplash can cause damage to the ligaments in the neck, or even vertebral damage. These can be severely debilitating injuries that can require a person to keep the head and neck immobile for weeks while the damage heals.

Typically, a whiplash injury may result in neck pain, headaches, pain between the shoulder blades, and lower back pain. The person may also suffer from difficulties in concentration, dizziness and fatigue.

Whiplash injuries may seem minor, but may require extensive treatment and the services of a number of medical service providers before you recover completely. It’s very important therefore that your whiplash claim includes all expenses, and factors in your pain and suffering, lack of enjoyment of your favorite activities, and other factors.

Typically, whiplash treatment will include:

The services of a neurologist and physical therapist;
Radiological tests, including CT scans and MRI;
Pain medications;
Antidepressants;
Exercises;
Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID);
Cervical collars; or
Local anesthetic injections

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a whiplash injury? Contact a MN whiplash injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Arm Injury Lawyer Discusses Diagnosis of Arm Injuries

Jason C. Brown — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:23:34 -0600

Arm fractures are typically accompanied by injuries to the wrist, shoulder or neck. These not only make the diagnosis and treatment process longer, but can also complicate the process of litigation. Typically, these injuries result from slip and fall accidents, and automobile and motorcycle accidents. They may also occur due to repetitive tasks, or excessively strenuous tasks performed in the workplace like lifting, pushing or pulling heavy machinery, and working with things that require you to keep your arms raised for a long period of time.

Typically, an arm injury will require you to keep your entire arm immobile during the period of recuperation. This means you may not be able to discharge your normal duties, or perform your normal functions. You may need days off work, thereby increasing your losses significantly.

The most common arm injuries include broken arms or fractures. Other injuries can lead to chronic pain, frozen shoulder, and blood vessel injuries. An open fracture can result in bone infections.

Litigation in an arm injury can involve proper diagnoses of the broken arm. This means that a doctor may have to conduct X-rays, bone scans and MRI (magnetic Residence Imaging). Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment can include braces and splints, and surgeries. It’s important that you retain all medical documents related to your arm injury treatment to produce when it’s time to claim compensation.

An arm fracture may be of different types, and these can impact your claim. These fractures include:

Compound fractures;
Complete fractures;
Incomplete fractures;
Closed fractures;
Open fractures;
Displaced fractures; and
Stress fractures

Have you or a loved one been injured because of an arm injury? Contact an MN arm injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Amputation Lawyers Discuss Amputation Lawsuits

Jason C. Brown — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:21:51 -0600

An amputation can be the result of a surgical procedure to remove an infected or diseased part. It can also be a natural amputation that occurs during explosions, violent assaults, earthquakes, roof collapses, dog bite attacks, construction accidents etc. In a natural amputation where a person loses his finger, toe, hand, foot or leg, the amputated limb may be reattached, but a successful reattachment can depend on many factors. Amputations can either be complete, where the part is completely separated from the body, or partial in which some fragments of bone or tissue keep the part attached to the body.

The medical expenses incurred after an amputation can be massive. Victims may suffer severe blood loss, and may require extensive hospitalization, while doctors try to keep infections at bay. If the part cannot be attached to the body, the victim may also need prosthetic devices or limbs attached. There may also be the need for long term rehabilitation and therapy. There may be the need to make modifications to your home and vehicle, so that you can continue to be mobile. All this means that your Minnesota amputation lawyer must factor in all necessary costs over your lifetime, to arrive at a fair claim amount.

An amputation does not necessarily mean a clean cut, guillotine amputation in which the body part is neatly severed and removed from the body. These injuries can occur even in a crushing type injury, often in a serious car accident or work place trauma, in which the nerves and tissues are badly damaged, requiring the amputation of the part.

Amputations can very often result from negligence. This can include negligence by doctors and surgeons, truck drivers, motorists, employers, and co-workers. Any of these parties can be named in a claim. In a workplace accident, if an amputation injury occurs because of defective power tools and equipment, victims may be able to hold third parties accountable in a personal injury claim.

Broadly, amputations may occur as the result of:

Accidents in the workplace like in plastic plants, and the horticulture and printing industries;
Logging accidents;
Accidents with power tools like saws and drills;
Electrocution;
Construction accidents;
Automobile accidents;
Diabetic complications;
Osteoporosis;
Farm accidents;
Natural disasters;
Gangrene;
Frostbite;
Artiosclerosis; and
Bone cancer

Have you or a loved one been injured because of an amputation injury? Contact a MN amputation injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Elbow Injury Lawyer Addresses Nature of Elbow Injury Lawsuits

Jason C. Brown — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:26:03 -0600

The elbow joint is the meeting point for three bones- the upper arm bone (Humerus), the inner forearm bone (Ulna) and the outer forearm bone (Radius). Elbow injuries can be extremely debilitating because the elbow joint controls so many of your arm and shoulder movements. An injury to the elbow can leave a person unable to lift or carry things, work at a computer, work with tools and perform a number of daily routine tasks.

Typically, elbow injuries occur as a result of repetitive industrial stress or performing the same type of activities over and over again. They can also occur in motor vehicle accidents, and while playing sports. It’s important to name all responsible parties in a claim, so you can recover compensation for your debilitating elbow injury.

The most common injuries include tennis elbow or golfer elbow. These injuries don’t only occur when people are playing with clubs or rackets. They often occur because of the overuse of the forearm muscles, in certain occupations like painting, meat cutting etc. Minor injuries include fractures and cuts, and major injuries can include severe damage to the elbow joint, usually caused by very serious auto accidents, falls or workplace accidents.

It’s very important that you get your injury diagnosed in time, and receive the treatment you need. It’s also equally important that you claim compensation for these injuries because serious injuries like an ulnar nerve injury, can require a minimum of 8 weeks of treatment or more. That means the need for physical therapy, expensive supportive aids, and even surgery.

Ulnar nerve injury is one of the most debilitating of elbow injuries. These injuries can cause degeneration of the muscle. This nerve may be damaged during a fracture or dislocation. Symptoms include:

Hand pain;
Finger pain, especially in the fourth and fifth fingers;
Burning sensation;
Loss of sensation; and
Numbness

These injuries must be diagnosed, and treatment must begin as quickly as possible, or you run the risk of losing the use of your hand.

Have you or a loved one been injured because of an elbow injury? Contact a MN elbow injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Eye Injury Lawyer Summarizes Common Causes of Eye Injuries

Jason C. Brown — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:12:46 -0600

Eye injuries are some of the most common injuries in the workplace, with approximately two thousand minor and serious eye injuries being reported every day. Most of these occur in he construction industry. Outside the workplace environment, these injuries can arise from defective products or auto accidents.

While some industries have a higher potential for eye injuries, this does not mean that they cannot be prevented. Employers can do much to prevent such injuries from occurring in the workplace by providing face masks and protective goggles. Examples of eye injuries that are caused by negligence include work place injuries, auto accident eye injuries, and defective contact lens products that can leave consumers with deadly eye infection or loss of vision. A car battery that explodes, work with chemicals, defective toys with sharp parts - all of these are the result of someone’s negligence, and parties responsible may be named by a Minnesota eye injury lawyer in a claim.

Minor injuries may include wounds or minor infections that can clear up easily. However, more serious injuries can require a corneal transplant or even lead to a permanent loss of vision.

Whether caused by a negligent employer who fails to provide workers with protective safety equipment or manufacturers of defective products, an eye injury claim will have to take into account the fact that the individual may lose the use of their eyes temporarily, or even permanently. It is highly likely that he may not be able to perform the same job that he was doing before, and may have to take a lower paying job instead. That can mean a huge financial strain on a victim and their family.

In a work place which is the most frequent environment for such injuries, there may be any number of causes of such injuries. Eyes may be injured by:

Wood splinters;
Pieces of metal or cement;
Flying debris;
Falling objects;
Work with nail guns;
Work with power drills and other tools;
Trauma injuries;
Chemical burns;
Hot liquids;
Laser burns; and
Ultra violet burns

Have you or a loved one been injured because of an eye injury? Contact a MN eye injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Foot Injury Lawyer Discuss Risk Factors for Injuries to the Feet

Jason C. Brown — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:07:07 -0600

The human foot is an extraordinary structure, composed of as many of 26 tiny bones and 33 joints, all working together to support a person’s weight. It’s no wonder that any injury to the foot is not only excruciatingly painful, but also causes a great deal of frustration because of reduced mobility and flexibility. Foot injuries can range from minor sprains, to serious injuries that can require amputation of the toes or foot.

Foot injuries can be extremely debilitating, and a person may need crutches or a wheelchair to get around while the foot heals. A foot amputation can mean the need for prosthetic devices to enable movement. Although a foot injury can seem like a minor one, this can have a huge impact on your livelihood, and the quality of your life. Moreover, these injuries can be hard to diagnose, and require the expertise of a specialist doctor, who is familiar with all the bones and joints that make up the foot. All this means huge costs in medical expenses and therapy.

A foot injury can include broken bones and fractures, strains and sprains, crushed bones, toe injuries, ankle injuries and amputations. Depending on the kind of injury, a patient may be looking at treatment and therapy programs that go on for months.

There may be a number of causes for a foot injury, and therefore, a number of parties that can be named in a claim. Defective shoes and footwear that fail to protect a person or increases strain on the foot, can be a factor in a foot injury claim. Workers, who work in occupations that require continuous standing or walking about, may also be more likely to suffer such injuries. Heel and ankle fractures are also often caused when a person falls foot first into a hole, or trips from the stairs in a trip, slip and fall accident.

Medical malpractice by a doctor or other health care professional can also be a factor in an aggravated foot injury. Doctors may:

Misdiagnose an injury;
Fail to retain a cast or splint for a required amount of time;
Fail to fit casts and splints properly;
Fail to call in a specialist in time;
Fail to read X-rays correctly; and
Perform unnecessary amputations

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a foot injury? Contact a MN foot injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or at any one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation from. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Hip Injury Lawyers Address Hip Injury Lawsuits

Jason C. Brown — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:00:48 -0600

The hip is one of the most under appreciated joints in the body. You don’t value it as much when it’s healthy, but when you suffer a hip injury, it can dramatically impact your ability to make any kind of movement. The hip is not really a single joint, but rather a ball and a socket joint. Hip injuries can be caused by slip and fall accidents, auto accident trauma, work-related strains or sprains, violent assaults, or may be the result of degenerative conditions and diseases like osteoarthritis.

A hip injury may not always be immediately visible. Those that result in a fracture or dislocation may be visible, and cause great pain. However, stress-related hip fractures or those caused by diseases may develop slowly over a long period of time, and worsen to the point where the individual finds it difficult to perform his daily activities. At its worst, a hip injury can severely limit mobility making it hard, if not impossible, for you to go to work, or earn a living. That’s why it’s important that you consider action if your hip injury was caused by other’s negligence.

Hip injuries may range from strains that occur because of damaged muscles and tendons to fractures. Repetitive stress in the workplace or overuse can cause bursitis, which is the formation of bursa sacs. These may also be the result of slip and fall accidents. Hips can also dislocate, causing the bones to move out of position. These are most often seen in sports injuries, falls or assaults. A fractured hip can be serious, and is most often seen in auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall accidents or sports injuries.

Liability for a hip injury will lie with the person or entity that was responsible for the injury. For instance, a fall on someone else’s premises will make the property owner liable. In cases where a defective product causes a hip injury, the manufacturer can be held liable. An example is the Zimmer Durom cup hip, which has been implanted in thousands of patients, and has been found to cause excruciating pain.

The long-term effects of a hip injury may mean making changes to your home to help you get around as easily as possible. Here are some of the adjustments you may need to make to your home or lifestyle, post a hip injury:

A bedroom set up on the floor where you spend much of your time;
A bathroom on the same floor;
A raised toilet seat;
Sock aids, shoe horns and other aids to help you dress easily;
A cane or a walker;
Crutches;
Wheelchair; and
Handrails outside the bathtub or shower

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a hip injury? Contact a MN Hip injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or you can visit us at one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Back Injury Lawyer Outlines Causes of Back Injuries

Jason C. Brown — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:09:54 -0600

Back injuries are some of the most common types of injuries. Most back injuries are caused by automobile accidents, workplace accidents or by repetitive stress or overuse. They can also occur as a result of slip, trip and fall accidents and construction accidents.

Filing a back injury claim can become very complicated, because these injuries are so common in the general population. Lawyers for the defendant may try to blame these injuries on pre-existing medical conditions like a prior spine injury or spinal cord injury, a degenerative bone condition, or a preexisting herniated disc. This could impact the value of your claim.

Back injuries can take the form of musculoskeletal injuries that occur in the workplace mainly due to overuse, improper use of back muscles and over exertion. They may also lead to herniated discs, scoliosis, spinal stenosis, neck sprain and spinal fractures.

Most back injuries are the result of workplace stress or industrial accidents. Under OSHA guidelines, employers are required to restrict the use of heavy equipment to prevent excessive pain or repetitive stress. They must also make sure that there are enough workers to perform heavy activities, to avoid overwork.

In a nutshell, back injuries may occur because of

Performing heavy work;
Over exertion;
Performing continuous sitting and standing activities;
Performing activities that involve a lot of lifting, bending and twisting;
Slip and fall accidents;
Driving for long hours by commercial drivers; and
Excessive work with little rest.

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a back injury? Contact an MN back injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100 or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Paralysis Lawyer's Thoughts on Impact of Paralysis on Quality of Life

Jason C. Brown — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 08:47:57 -0600

Studies show close to 1 in 50 people suffer from some degree of paralysis. This is a medical condition in which a person loses muscular function in some part of the body. Paralysis can either be complete or partial. Generally, paralysis occurs either because of a stroke or because of injury to the spinal cord or brain. There are other causes for paralysis too, but a majority of Americans who suffer from paralysis, fall into these two categories.

Paralysis is one of those catastrophic medical conditions that result from high impact and serious accidents. A head-on crash involving a speeding car, collision between a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle, aviation accidents, train accidents, motorcycle accidents - these are situations in which there is potential for catastrophic injuries like those that occur to the brain and spinal cord. Not all brain and spinal injuries will result in paralysis, and many of these injuries may be fully treatable with very little impact on the person’s motor abilities. However, in cases where there is severe damage to the spinal cord or brain, the person may be left with some degree of paralysis. Paralysis may also occur because of medical conditions, like spinal bifida, Bell’s palsy, multiple sclerosis, shell fish poisoning, and botulism.

The biggest impact of these injuries is that they affect normal routine every day activities that the victim may earlier have taken for granted. Simple tasks like eating, bathing, changing clothes, visiting toilets, and walking about may become difficult for someone living with paralysis. Typically, paralysis is divided into paraplegia or paralysis of the lower limbs, and quadriplegia or paralysis of the lower and upper limbs. Paralysis can also impact the respiratory system. The person may suffer from kidney malfunction and gastrointestinal disorders. There may be a change in the texture and tone of muscle and skin, causing pain.

Paralysis victims can expect huge expenses not just to cover medical and hospitalization bills, but also expenses after the victim returns back home. Depending on the kind of severity of the paralysis, an individual may require a wheel chair, modifications to the home to allow him to be as mobile as possible and long term nursing care. Any litigation that a Minnesota paralysis lawyer will initiate on the victim’s behalf must include all these long term expenses. It must also take into account the possibility that there might be future complications arising from the paralysis, and medical treatment for these too. All of this will involve inputs from specialized paralysis experts.

There are several other medical issues that a paralysis victim may have to deal with. Many of these will become clear as the days progress. These include

Loss of control over urination and bowel movements;
Loss of sexual function;
Excessive sweating;
Changes in breathing rate and heart rate;
Cognitive difficulties in case of brain injury;
Behavioral changes;
Vision problems;
Swallowing difficulties; and
Skin sores

Have you or a loved one been paralyzed due to the negligence of another? Contact a MN paralysis attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100 or submit an injury through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Electrocution Lawyers Summarize Liability Issues in Electrical Accidents

Jason C. Brown — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:48:15 -0600

Fatal electrical injuries are called electrocutions. The potential for dying from an electric shock is present just about anywhere there is a flowing current - in a house, in a work place or outside. Every year in the US, approximately 1000 people die from severe electrical shock. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2001, 411 people died from electrocutions and 19 percent of these deaths were caused by large electronic appliances. About 18 percent of these people were electrocuted from installed electrical wiring.

Whatever causes electrocutions, these fatal accidents are rarely just "accidents." Electricity runs our world, and can be perfectly safe to use if people involved take all precautions to secure premises, manufacture safe products, and provide a safe environment for workers.

Injuries from electrocution are usually very serious. Deaths by electrocution are almost always instant. A person can suffer severe burns, intense damage to the internal organs, problems with cardiac rhythm, respiratory arrest, seizures and palpitations. There is major nerve tissue and muscle damage.

In Minnesota, the laws place responsibility for prevention of such accidents on employers, premises owners, manufacturers and other parties. For instance, a hotel has the responsibility to make sure electrical wiring used in its premises is safe and functioning properly. Similarly, an employer must make sure that a work place is properly secure, so that there are no loose electrical wires, or overhead or underground high voltage power lines that a worker can come in contact with. Workers must also be properly trained to minimize the risk of electrocution.

Defective products are a major contributing factor in electrocution accidents. While any product that requires the use of electricity can be a potential source of electrocution, some products are particularly susceptible to these hazards. These include:

Refrigerators;
Hairdryers;
Lighting fixtures;
Power adapters;
Microwaves;
Computers;
Lamps;
Extension cords;
Toasters;
Machine tools;
Power tools;
Battery heaters;
Steam cleaners;
Paint sprayers;
Ovens; and
Boilers

Have you lost a loved one because of an electrocution? Contact a MN electrocution attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100 or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers Discuss Types of Spinal Cord Injury

Jason C. Brown — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:29:47 -0600

Some of the most catastrophic injuries occur when there is even minimal damage to the spinal cord. Approximately, a quarter million Americans currently live with spinal cord injury. Out of these, 52 percent are paraplegic, which means they have suffered injuries to the thoracic, lumbar or sacral area, and 47 percent are considered quadriplegic, which means that their injury is located in the cervical region.

Spinal cord injuries refer to damage to the spinal cord, which results in impairment in normal functioning, lowered mobility and a diminished sense of feeling. Most spinal cord injuries are caused by automobile or motorcycle accidents. In fact, these crashes account for approximately 37 percent of all spinal cord injuries. The remaining are caused by slip and fall accidents, gunshot wounds, sports injuries, alcohol use and diseases like cancer and osteoporosis. The good news is that as seatbelt usage increases, accident fatality rates drop and automakers bring out newer and safer cars every year, the rate of spinal cord injuries caused by auto crashes is slowly declining.

Typically, a spinal cord injury may cause either tetraplegia or quadriplegia. Persons suffering from these conditions will have their trunk, arms, legs and pelvic organs damaged by the injury. They may also suffer from paraplegia, which affects just a part of the trunk and pelvic organs.

Litigation arising out of a spinal cord injury will require the expertise of a lawyer who is experienced in handling spinal cord injury cases. These are not the typical auto accident claims that quickly reach a settlement and involve moderate injuries. The complexity of these injuries, the still-elusive cure, and the need for lifelong or long term care – these ensure that these claims can take months to settle. It’s important for your Minnesota spinal cord injury lawyer to factor in all long term care expenses in your claim. This may require calling in spinal cord injury experts and physicians.

Spinal cord injuries may not be immediately obvious. However, some of these symptoms may signify the presence of an injury:

Loss of sensation and movement;
Loss of bower or bladder control;
Loss of or change in sexual function;
Back pain;
Difficulty breathing;
Weakness;
Paralysis;
Numbness in extremities;
Strange position of neck or back; and
Difficulty in balancing

Have you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury? Contact a MN spinal cord injury at the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or at one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100 or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Brain Injury Lawyer Explains Long Term Repercussions of These Injuries

Jason C. Brown — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:25:36 -0600

Brain injuries may not always be visible, and in fact, a victim may often see no external signs of an injury, but may fall suddenly, and sometimes fatally, ill. These are some of the most catastrophic injuries, because the brain controls a person’s physical, social and cognitive abilities. Damage to the brain can have a lasting impact on the victims’ quality of life.

Brain injuries very often result after automobile accidents, after a fall, or as a result of lack of oxygen and other complications during medical procedures. In most cases, these injuries are very preventable. They are also some of the most expensive injuries to treat, with victims requiring not just surgeries and extensive hospitalization, but also long term therapy and rehabilitation.

Brain injuries are typically divided into two types – acquired brain injury and traumatic brain injury. Acquired brain injury is one that either occurs after birth or is caused by choking, suffocation, head and neck trauma, severe blood loss, cardiac arrest, stroke or obstruction of the airways. In traumatic brain injury, there is damage to the brain because of massive force to the head that cracks the skull. These injuries are often seen in slip and falls, car, truck and motorcycle crashes, accidents involving contact sports, violence, and gunshot wounds. Brain injuries can typically result in mental impairment, concussions, headaches, impaired attention, memory issues, difficulty with language and math, depression, difficulty in concentration, lowered physical and cognitive abilities, and social impairment.

Liability in a brain injury case will depend on the cause of the injury. For instance, a motorist or trucker who causes a serious accident leading to a victim’s brain injury, may be held liable. In other cases, premises owners in the case of slip and falls, doctors, surgeons and other health care staff in the case of botched medical procedures causing brain damage, or obstetricians in the case of babies who suffer oxygen deprivation-related brain damage, may be named in a claim. Typically, claim amounts in brain injury cases tend to be high because a Minnesota brain injury lawyer will have to factor in not just the immediate expenses of treating the injury, but also the long term rehabilitation and therapy, loss of the person’s future earning potential, need for making modifications to the persons house or lifestyle to deal with his limitations, and other expenses.

Signs of brain injury are not always visible. However, some of the following symptoms may be seen:

Loss of consciousness, for at least a short period of time;
Amnesia about events that occurred immediately before or after the injury;
Confusion;
Dizziness;
Disorientation;
Mood changes;
Memory issues;
Vomiting or nausea;
Convulsions;
Dilation of pupils;
Slurred speech;
Weakness in extremities; and
Agitation

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a brain injury? Contact a MN brain injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or at any one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement for you.

Minnesota Burn Injury Lawyer Discusses Burn Hazards

Jason C. Brown — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:23:58 -0600

According to the American Burn Association, every year 1.1 million people suffer burn injuries in the country. Of these, approximately 45,000 will require hospitalization. About 4,500 of these victims will die of their injuries.

Burn injuries can be prevented in every case. Often, these injuries are caused from a fire on someone’s premises, or as a result of an automobile accident. Defective irons, hairdryers, stoves, heaters can all cause varying degrees of burns. In all these cases, there is negligence involved, which ultimately causes an injury.

Typically, burn injuries are classified based on the degree of their severity. For classification purposes, these injuries are classified as first degree burns (redness, swelling of the skin) second degree burns (large blisters and scarring) and third degree burns (damage to all layers of the skin).

Third degree burns can lead to long term nerve damage, weakness in the affected part and severe disfigurement. Burns can also cause lung damage from heat inhalation. The trachea, mucous membranes and esophagus may suffer a thermal injury. The body may absorb toxins like carbon monoxide from the smoke, and persons may fall unconscious or suffer brain damage. Injuries from smoke inhalation tend to be neglected because there are not visible, but these can result in fainting, breathing difficulties and singed eyebrows and lashes.

In Minnesota, burn injury claims can be brought not just by the victims themselves, but also by the families of those who were burnt to death. These persons may be eligible not just for compensatory benefits that include medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages, but also punitive damages in case a judge or jury finds that extreme negligence and recklessness on the part of the defendant has caused the injury.

Burns may also be classified depending on the heat source. While most people tend to think of burn injuries as only being caused from direct exposure to fire, very often, there are other elements involved in causing these injuries:

Electrical burn injury, in which an electrical current passes through body, causing exit wounds as well as skin damage
Thermal burns, which occur when a person comes into contact with a thermal heat source, like steam and hot surfaces
Chemical burns, which result from contact of the skin with acids, alkaloids and other dangerous chemicals

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a burn injury? Contact a MN burn injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100 or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement for you.

Minnesota Spine Injury Lawyer Discusses Types of Spine Injuries

Jason C. Brown — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:41:59 -0600

According to the American Spine Injury Association, there are currently 1.3 million Americans living with spine injuries, and everyday 10,000 new people join these numbers. What makes these injuries so damaging is that they occur most frequently in some of the most vital, healthy and productive members of the population - those between the ages of 16 to 30.

Spine injuries may be the result of a motor vehicle accident, a slip or fall, a sports-related injury, an explosion or violent behavior. In cases where there is another person whose negligence or recklessness contributed to the injury, these people, or entities, may be named in a claim. However, spine injuries may also occur because of pathological factors, like tumors.

Spine injuries are typically described as complete or incomplete injuries. In complete injuries, the person may suffer from a complete lack of sensation and failure of muscle function below the level of injury. In an incomplete injury however, the person may continue to have some function below the injury level. Injuries to the upper section of the spine can cause paralysis of upper and lower limbs, also called quadriplegia. Injuries caused to a lower point in the spine can cause paralysis in both legs, also known as paraplegia.

You may be able to prevent a spine injury to a certain extent, by following these tips:

Always wear seatbelts while driving.
Avoid head-first contact during rough sports like football.
Avoid drinking and driving - and don’t ride with an intoxicated driver.
Have non-slip mats placed outside the bathtub or shower to prevent falls.
Always wear helmets while motorcycling, biking and horse riding.
Always wear helmets during rough sports. like ice hockey or football.
Never dive head first into water, unless you are 100 percent sure that the water is deep enough.

Have you or a loved one been injured because of a spine injury? Contact a MN spine injury attorney with the Brown Law Office, P.A. We offer free consultations at your home, work, hospital or any one of our six Twin Cities metro offices. Contact us by calling (612) 789-2100, or submit an inquiry through our online consultation form. We don’t charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement on your behalf.

Minnesota Accident Lawyers Publish New Minnesota Accident & Injury Blog

Jason C. Brown — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:23:49 -0600

The Minnesota accident lawyers with the Brown Law Offices, P.A. are pleased to announce their newest online resource, the Minnesota Accident & Injury Law Blog. Our personal injury team, lead by Jason Brown, has created this blog to post helpful, easy-to-understand information on cases involving:

ATV Accidents
Bike Accidents
Boat Accidents
Bus Accidents
Car Accidents
Construction Accidents
Electrical Accidents
Farm Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Railroad Accidents
Rollover Accidents
School Bus Accidents
Semi Truck Accidents
Slip & Fall Accidents
Snowmobile Accidents
Train Accidents
Truck Accidents
Wrongful Death Accidents

We also provide injury-specific posts on the following:

Amputation
Ankle Injury
Arm Injury
Back Injury
Brain Injury
Broken Bones
Burns
Ear Injury
Elbow Injury
Electrocution
Eye Injury
Foot Injury
Hip Injury
Knee Injury
Leg Injury
Neck Injury
Paralysis
Shoulder Injury
Spinal Cord Injury
Spine Injury
Whiplash

Have you suffered an injury in an accident? Speak with a MN accident lawyer with the Brown Law Offices, P.A. Our attorneys have years of experience and will fight to obtain the compensation you and your family deserve. Please call (612) 789-2100 or use our online consultation form. We offer free consultations at any of our six Twin Cities metro offices - or any other location that is convenient for you. No fee unless we win.