California Injury Lawyers Blog

One year after a lone gunman shot her through the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has announced that she will be giving up her seat in the US Congress to focus on her recovery. Giffords sustained a traumatic brain injury when she was shot by Jared Lee Loughner outside a Safeway store in Arizona where she was conducting her "Congress on your Corner" meeting on January 8, 2011.

Loughner shot 18 other people that day. 12 of the injured survived, while six others died. Since the shooting, the congressman has bravely fought the uphill battle to recover. She was initially put into a medically induced coma and underwent surgery to control brain swelling and stop the bleeding. Her skull had to be temporarily removed and her eyelids were decompressed.

Since then, Giffords has undergone months of rehab to learn how to walk and talk again. Her fight to get better is far from over.

"We wish Mrs. Giffords well and are happy that continues to get better," said Howard Law PC founder and Anaheim traumatic brain injury attorney Vincent Howard.

Traumatic Brain Injuries
Not all brain injuries are the same. The manner in which it was sustained, the force of impact that was created, the area of the brain and any corresponding functions that were affected, and the health and age of the victim can all have an impact on the outcome. A TBI from a gunshot wound is very different from one from a fall accident or in an Orange County, California car accident.

While some patients are fortunate enough to fully recover, others are not so lucky. Brain damage can lead to:

• Cognitive disabilities
• Speech difficulties
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Problems concentrating
• Comprehension problems
• Receptive aphasia
• Expressive aphasia
• Sensory problems
• Partial vision loss
• Double or blurred vision
• Blindness
• Hearing disabilities
• Seizures
• Chronic pain
• Paralysis
• Spasticity
• Sleep disorders
• Bowel control problems
• Personality changes
• Depression
• Brain death
• Coma
• Death

A TBI can have a devastating effect on the patient's entire life, impairing his/her ability to be in relationship, hold a job, live independently, drive a car, take care of his/her children, be intimate with a spouse or partner, and/or enjoy the many other freedoms and activities that everyone else takes for granted. Family members and loved ones also sustain certain losses when a brain injury patient loses so much.

"We know that the toll a brain injury can take on a victim can go way beyond what can be documented on a medical chart," said Anaheim personal injury attorney Vincent Howard. "It can be tough to handle these challenges without having the resources that you need to cover treatments and other expenses."

Leading cases of TBIs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

• Fall accidents
• Traffic crashes
• Getting hit by/hitting against events
• Assaults

Gabrielle Giffords in Medically Induced Coma to Help Brain Rest, ABC News, January 9, 2011

What are the Leading Causes of TBI?, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

More Blog Posts:
$12.2M California Truck Accident Verdict Awarded to Victim Who Sustained Traumatic Brain Injury After Being Hit By a Trailer Wheel, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 9, 2011

Fullerton Cops Accused of Orange County, California Police Brutality in Fatal Beating of Kelly Thomas, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 13, 2011

$6M Riverside County Truck Accident Settlement Reached in 2007 DUI Case, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 27, 2011

Continue reading "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Resigns from Congress to Focus on Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury" »

Following reports of at least another 45 incidents involving infants involved in fall accidents when their Bumbo seats were placed on elevated surfaces, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is once again warning parents and guardians against ever using this product on a countertop, chair, table, or another surface that is above ground level. A recall issuing this same warning had been issued in 2007 and involved about 1 million Bumbo "Baby Sitter" Seats. CPSC and Bumbo International had noted that moving forward, a warning label cautioning against this specific hazard would be included with the child seats. Skull fractures, concussions, and at least one broken bone are among the injuries reported.

Babies in Bumbo seats are at risk of falling out whenever they lean forward or to the side, rock in any direction, or arch their backs. By placing this product on an elevated surface, this increases the risk of serious injuries. Our Anaheim brain injury lawyers represent children and adults who got hurt because of other parties' negligence. Please contact our Orange County, California personal injury law firm today.

The CPSC and Bumbo International also say they know of at least 50 other incidents involving babies falling or wiggling their way out of Bumbo seats that were at unknown heights or on the ground.

Babies and Head Injuries
A head injury can be dangerous for anyone--but especially for babies, whose scalps tend to be more delicate. While fortunately minor bumps and bruises can easily be alleviated with ice and loving tenderness, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't observe your child carefully for signs of a possibly more serious brain injury, such as a brain bleeding, a concussion, a skull fracture, or a traumatic brain injury.

Steps to take after your baby has struck his/her head:
• Observe your child closely over the next 24 hours and watch for any changes in behavior.
• Try not to let him/her sleep for at least an hour after the injury accident. Short naps are fine, but check on the baby frequently for changes in skin coloring or breathing or involuntary body twitches

These symptoms may be signs of a more serious head injury and you may want to seek medical help right away:
• Loss of consciousness
• Vomiting
• Confusion or disorientation
• Balance issues
• Incessant crying
• Severe headache
• Rolling or crossed eyes
• One pupil appearing larger than the other
• Vision problems

Contact our Anaheim personal injury law firm today. We represent children and adults in Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Orange County, California. We also handle California products liability cases against the manufacturers of dangerous or defective consumer goods that caused severe injury or death.

Infants in Bumbo Baby Seats Falling from Elevated Surfaces and Suffering Serious Head Injuries, CPSC, November 22, 2011

Bumbo Baby Seats Recalled, CBS News, February 11, 2009

More Blog Posts:
Are SSRI Antidepressants Dangerous Drugs?: Their Link to Birth Defects, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 19, 2011

Disneyland Sued For Allegedly Exposing Visitors to Lead, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 18, 2011

Orange County, California Products Liability: CPSC and Nine Manufacturers Recall 2M Pourable Gel Fuel Units Following Burn Injuries and Deaths, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 31, 2011

A jury has ordered YRC. Inc. to pay a motorist $12.2 million for his California tractor-trailer accident injuries. The victim, who driving a Chevy Metro at the time, suffered spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries in 2008 when he was hit by a wheel that had come off the rear axle of a tractor-trailer.

The impact of the accident caused the motorist to hit his head on the roof of the motor vehicle despite wearing a seat belt. His California TBI injuries have changed his personality and damaged his memory, concentration, and ability to pay attention. Because of his spinal injuries, he had to undergo neck surgery. He will also experience back and neck pain for life. Because of his California tractor-trailer crash injuries, the victim, who worked a contractor that built, fixed, and tested military aircraft, has been unable to resume working.

Although YRC Inc. admitted responsibility for the California truck accident, the company accused the victim of lying about his brain injury. Also, the trucking company argued that the patient's neck injury was unrelated to the crash. The jury sided with the plaintiff.

Traumatic Brain Injuries
Sustaining a serious traumatic brain injury can alter a victim's existence for life.

Types of TBIs:
Penetrating Injuries: Involves a foreign object entering the brain and causing damage that way.

Closed Head Injuries: Caused by a severe blow to a head. This can lead to primary brain damage or secondary brain damage. Primary brain damage occurs on impact. Examples of primary brain damage include skull fractures, brain bruising, hematoma, lacerations of the frontal or temporal brain lobes, and diffuse axonal injury, which involves nerve damage. Meantime, secondary brain damage may develop as a result of the original trauma over time. Examples of this type of brain damage are intracranial infection, swelling, hematoma, epilepsy, intracranial pressure, blood pressure issues, anemia, abnormal blood coagulation, lung issues, and cardiac issues.

A brain injury may impair a person's ability to communicate, think, cope with life, interact with others, and generally exist. His/her motions and personality may be affected. Memory problems, inability to quickly process information, problems concentration, and other cognitive issues can develop.

A person with a severe TBI may not be able to continue working, or live independently. The TBI patient's injuries may also seriously impact their loved ones, who can no longer rely on him/her for emotional support, consortium, and financial support.

Motor vehicle crashes (semi-truck collisions, bus accidents, car crashes, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle crashes) are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. There may be a negligent motorist and/or other related third parties that should be held liable. While nothing can make up for your losses and damages, obtaining Orange County, California traumatic brain injury damages can help cover accrued and future costs that you may have to contend with as a result of your injuries.

California Jury Returns $12.2M Verdict In Suit Over Man's Brain, Spinal Injuries, Lexis/Nexis

Trucking Accidents: Common Causes & Liability, Nolo

Traumatic Brain Injury, CDC

More Blog Posts:
NFL Sued by 75 Pro Football Players in Los Angeles Superior Court For Concealing Brain Injury Risks, California Injury Lawyers Blog, July 21, 2011

Irvine Teen Sustains Fatal Traumatic Brain Injury in Orange County, California Car Accident, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 31, 2011

$6M Riverside County Truck Accident Settlement Reached in 2007 DUI Case, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 27, 2011

Over 200 people protested outside the Fullerton Police Department and City Hall on Saturday over the death of Kelly Thomas. The 37-year-old homeless man was apprehended last month in a violent arrest that sent him into a coma. He died soon after. Now, the public wants answers and action.

Thomas passed away on July 10, five days after an altercation with cops who were looking into reports of an attempted car burglary. According to his parents' Orange County, California wrongful death claim against the city of Fullerton, Thomas, who weighed 145-pounds, was on a bench at the Fullerton Transportation Center when six cops exercised "excessive and deadly force" on him "without justification."

The Fullerton police officers allegedly used their fists, objects, a Taser, and other forms of deadly and excessive force to restrain him even though he did not pose a threaten to the cops. The arrest was captured on video by a cell phone and has been viewed over 695,000 times on You Tube.

An autopsy that was conducted rendered inconclusive findings and toxicology results are still pending. Thomas's mom, Cathy Thomas, says her son was stunned with a Taser at least six times. He also sustained severe neck and head injuries from the arrest. Thomas's dad Ron Thomas says that his son sustained two types of severe traumatic brain injuries--one caused by blunt force trauma and the other because his heart stopped. Ron wants murder charges filed.

The six police officers involved in Thomas's arrest have since been placed on administrative leave while the investigation into the alleged incident of Fullerton police brutality takes place. Over 80 witnesses have already been interviewed. Meantime, the FBI is investigating whether Thomas' civil rights were violated. The Orange County District Attorney is also looking into this tragic incident.

According to Ron Thomas, his son suffered from schizophrenia and had not been taking his medication. His arrest is raising speculation over whether cops are trained to properly deal with those who are mentally ill. The National Alliance on Mental Illness wants the city of Fullerton, whose cops aren't specifically trained in dealing with mental illness, to look at its officer training programs and work with families with mentally ill members.

Excessive Use of Force
Police officers must never use excessive and unnecessary force when doing their job. They must also assess any arrest situation when deciding how much force to exert. In many instances, a suspect won't pose any physical danger and should be treated accordingly. In certain instances, some physical force may be required to apprehend someone.

For an unarmed person to die while being arrested--let alone be beaten by six cops--definitely raises questions regarding whether the Fullerton police officers committed Orange County, California police brutality. That said, it is important that you know that excessive use of police force doesn't have to be physical. Emotional violence, verbal assault, sexual harassment, blackmailing, and threats can be acts of police brutality when used by a cop on a member of the public. Not only is excessive use of police force is violation of one's civil rights, but also it can be grounds for a Fullerton personal injury or wrongful death case.

Homeless man's death in encounter with cops brings protests, USA Today, August 14, 2011

Six California police officers placed on leave in homeless man's death, CNN, August 4, 2011

Kelly Thomas' Parents File Claim Against Fullerton, MyFOX LA, August 12, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Police, City of Fullerton

National Alliance on Mental Illness

More Blog Posts:
Newport Beach Wrongful Death Lawsuit Blames Police for Suicide of Man While in Custody, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 6, 2011

$2.1M Excessive Use of Force Settlement Reached in 2008 Orange County, California Wrongful Death of Inmate Detained by Cops in 2008, California Injury Lawyers Blog, June 29, 2011

Huntington Beach Personal Injury Lawsuit: Man Alleging Police Brutality Claims He Was Choked by Cops, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 26, 2011

In Los Angeles Superior Court, 75 ex-pro football players have filed a lawsuit against the National Football League accusing it of concealing the concussion risks that come with playing the game. The complaint comes even as attorneys for NFL owners and players continue to try and hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement.

According to the Los Angeles personal injury complaint, the NFL knew as far back as the 1920's that a player's brain was at risk of serious harm from concussions and did not let coaches, players, trainers, and the public know "these facts" until last year. The league even allegedly went so far as to commission a study called "NFL Committee on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury" in the 1990's, with findings published in a 2004 report that claimed that there wasn't any evidence that multiple concussions could cause "worsening injury or chronic cumulative effects." It wasn't until June 2010 that the league admitted that concussions could lead to dementia, memory loss, and other brain injury symptoms.

Plaintiffs include ex-Giants running backs Ottis Anderson and Rodney Hampton and ex-Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mark Duper. Also a defendant of this California injury complaint is NFL helmet maker Riddell. If in fact the manufacturer did not do enough to warn that there was a serious brain injury risk even when using their helmets, Riddell could be held liable for California products liability.

Brain Injury
A direct blow to the head can cause a traumatic brain injury, and one of the leading causes of TBIs is athletic activities. Contrary to popular belief, even a concussion is a type of brain injury that in some cases can be serious. If the NFL did conceal the risks involved in playing football and this resulted in football players sustaining brain injuries, the league may indeed have to pay damages to the victims and their families.

NFL and Helmet Maker Riddell Sued by 75 Retired Players Over Concussions, Bloomberg, July 21, 2011

NFL Sued for Allegedly Concealing Brain Injury Risks, TMZ, July 19, 2011

New Sign of Brain Damage in N.F.L., New York Times, January 27, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Riddell

NFL

More Blog Posts:
Los Angeles Products Liability Lawsuit Seeks Damages from Riddell Sports Inc. for Teen's Permanent Traumatic Brain Injury, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 31, 2010

Over 400 Plaintiffs Accuse Los Angeles Count and Exxon Mobil Inc. of Toxin Exposure at Willowbrook Housing Complex that Resulted in Deaths, Injuries, and Health Issues,
California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 14, 2010

Dodgers Settle Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit with Fan Who Broke His Neck During Baseball Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 20, 2011

14-year-old Ashton Sweet has been declared dead. The teenager sustained a traumatic brain injury on Sunday when a drunk driver hit the car she was riding during an Irvine car crash. She is being kept on life support so her organs can be considered on donation.

Sweet and three of her friends were being driven home from a party when they were struck by a Toyota pickup truck. The driver of the truck, 26-year-old Austin Farley, is also from Irvine. He was brought into custody on suspicion of felony drunk driving and held on $1 million bail.

Brain Injury from Car Accidents
Traffic crashes are a leading cause of brain injuries. The head may strike the windshield, the window, or the roof during a rollover. Also, when sudden deceleration or acceleration movement occurs, the brain also may experience trauma and brain bleeding, twisting, tearing, or bruising may occur.

While some brain injuries are immediately detectable, the symptoms for some types of TBIs may not appear right away, which is why it is important that you see a doctor immediately. Possible signs of a brain injury include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Feeling dazed or confused or disoriented
• Headaches
• Concentration or memory problems
• Vomiting
• Vision problems
• Nausea
• Mood changes
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Problems sleeping
• The need to sleep more often
• Slurred speech
• Numbness or weakness to the extremities
• Convulsions
• Fluids coming from the ears or nose
• Pupil dilation
• Seizures

Irvine crash victim declared dead,OC Register, May 31, 2011

Irvine teen Ashton Sweet dies from injuries following Sunday crash, ABC7, May 31, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Traumatic Brain Injury, National institute of Neurological Disorders/NIH

Traumatic Brain Injury, CDC

More Blog Posts:
$4.75M Los Angeles County Car Accident Settlement Reached with Two Anaheim Residents Injured in 2008 DUI Collision with Deputy, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 18, 2011

Los Angeles Traumatic Brain Injury Settlement Reached Between County and Psychiatric Patient Who Jumped Out of Hospital Window, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 5, 2011

$18.3M California Traumatic Brain Injury Verdict Awarded to UC Davis Doctor Injured in Pedestrian Accident, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 4, 2011

Continue reading "Irvine Teen Sustains Fatal Traumatic Brain Injury in Orange County, California Car Accident" »

Last month, our Anaheim personal injury law firm reported on the March 31 beating at the Dodger Stadium parking that left San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow with brain injuries and other serious injuries. Now, his family is suing the Dodgers, its owner Frank McCourt, a number of McCourt and Dodger entities, and the unnamed assailants for Los Angeles personal injury.

Stow had just attended the Dodgers home opening game against his team when he was attacked in the parking lot. The 42-year-old was wearing a Giants shirt at the time. Sunday, 31-year-old Giovanni Ramirez was arrested as a suspect in the attack. Stow, who is still in critical condition, was transported back to Northern California last week.

According to the Los Angeles personal injury complaint, even during the game Stow and his friends were harassed by Dodgers fans, who assaulted them with wrappers, peanuts, and hotdogs. The plaintiffs contend that inadequate security and poor lighting made the environment ripe for crimes to take place. (Since the attack on Stow, temporary lights have been added to the parking lot.) The Los Angeles premises liability lawsuit also blames McCourts "lavish lifestyle" for why security staff had been reduced at the stadium. Other causes of action cited in the civil lawsuit include negligence, negligent supervision, hiring, and retention, negligent infliction of emotional distress, loss of consortium, false imprisonment, and assault and battery.

California Premises Liability
Stadiums and other public venues are responsible to ensure that there is adequate security, sufficient lighting, and no hazards on the premise that could cause or allow injury or death to occur. Places that host large crowds can be settings for sexual assault, physical assault, robberies, or other crimes if the proper safety and security measures are not implemented. Property owners can be held liable for California premises liability or wrongful death.

Read the complaint (Pdf)

Family of beaten Giants fan sues Dodgers for parking-lot attack, CNN, May 24, 2011

Giovanni Ramirez held on $1 million bail, ESPN, May 23, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Los Angeles Dodgers

Inadequate Security, Justia

More Blog Posts:
Giants Fan Beaten At Dodger Stadium Placed in Medically Induced Coma, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 23, 2011

Dodgers Settle Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit with Fan Who Broke His Neck During Baseball Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 23, 2011

Man Stabbed to Death at Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel on New Year's Day, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 7, 2011

The L.A. County supervisors have approved a $4.75M settlement with two Anaheim residents who were injured in a car crash involving sheriff's detective Robert Andrew Moran. The 42-year-old Buena Park man was on-duty in Stanton on June 29, 2008 when witnesses say he ran a red light and struck the Mazda sedan that Elias Aldana and Savanah Kirifi were riding. Moran's blood-alcohol level was over .08%.

Aldana, 33, sustained a traumatic brain injury, rib fractures, a torn shoulder, pelvic fractures, and other soft tissue injuries. He also had to undergo a splenectomy. Aldana has over $2.1 million in medical bills. Kirifi, 20, sustained minor injuries in Los Angeles County car accident.

Moran pleaded no contest to misdemeanor driving under the influence in September 2009. He was sentenced to six months home confinement and three years of informal probation. The Sheriff's Department veteran was placed on leave. He is now a patrol deputy. Too many people are killed or seriously injured because someone else was driving drunk. In 2009, about 10,839 people died in drunk driving accidents. That's one death approximately every 50 minutes.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is negligent driving. An experienced Los Angeles personal injury law firm can help prove that the other driver caused the traffic crash that resulted in your injuries or your loved one's death. In California, you have two years to sue for Los Angeles personal injury. Obtaining injury recovery can help you cover medical bills, lost wages, and financially compensate you for your pain and suffering.

LA County Settles Suit for $4.75 Million With Victims of '08 Crash Caused by Drunk Deputy Who OC Deputies Tried to Protect From DUI Test, OC Weekly, May 18, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

The Century Council

More Blog Posts:
Woman Charged in Fatal Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Was Drunk and Texting, Say Authorities, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 16, 2011

Sentenced to Prison Over Yorba Linda Car Crash that Killed Two Sister, Anaheim Woman Awaits Orange County, California Wrongful Death Trial, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 14, 2011

The LA County Board of Supervisors and Ramiro Polanco have settled his Los Angeles personal injury lawsuit for $207,000. The 38-year-old main sustained a permanent traumatic brain injury after jumping out of a hospital window. At the time, Polanco was a psychiatric patient.

He fell three stories on September 17, 2008 while at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. According to his Los Angeles TBI lawsuit and hospital malpractice case, the nursing staff at the Sylmar hospital did not adequately supervise him.

Polanco's Los Angeles injury lawyer says that his client, who had just had a schizophrenic episode and should have been constantly watched, had made previous attempts to break the glass window with a chair. He contends that nurses did not prevent him from jumping. A nursing attendant employed by Los Angeles County even wrote down that Polanco had tried to escape before he got out threw the window.

As a result of his Los Angeles traumatic brain injury, Polanco will require round-the-clock care. Following the incident, county officals made the windows "psychiatric safe" and conducted training with nurses regarding how to asses patient behavior.

Health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes and other medical facilities must ensure that they provide adequate supervision and properly monitor patients. This means that make sure that patients--especially those who are mentally ill--don't do anything to hurt themselves or others.

Other examples of how a patient might get hurt when not properly supervised:
• Choking accidents
• Wandering or elopement
• Slip and fall accidents
• Nursing home abuse
• Physical or sexual assault

If the medical facility or nursing home did not but could (and should) have acted to prevent your Los Angeles personal injury, you may be able to file a claim or lawsuit.

LA County to pay $207,000 to injured psych patient, Mercury News, April 19, 2011

Read the Los Angeles County Claims Board's Recommendation (PDF)

Related Web Resource:
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

More Blog Posts:
Los Angeles Elder Abuse and Neglect Alleged in 89-Year-Old's Alzheimer Patient's Fatal Fall At Woodland Hills Retirement Community, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 16, 2011

Los Angeles County Nursing Home Negligence?: Santa Monica Assisted Living Facility Fined $100,000 After Resident's Choking Death, California Injury Lawyers Blog, February 23, 2011

San Bernardino County Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Blames Assisted Living Facility for Patient's California Wrongful Death by Suicide, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 10, 2010

A jury has ordered Allergan to pay Douglas M. Ray $200 million in punitive damages and $200 million in compensatory damages for permanent injuries he sustained after receiving a Botox injection. The 67-year-old took the drug in 2007 to treat tremors and cramps. Unfortunately, Ray suffered permanent injuries, including brain damage.

In his dangerous drug lawsuit, Ray accused the Irvine-based company of failing to warn him that taking the Botox injections could cause him to suffer an autoimmune reaction. Ray, who took Botox to treat his writer's cramp and hand tremors, says he is now disabled because he took the drug.

This verdict is the largest one issued to date against the maker of Botox. Administered for medical reasons and for cosmetic purposes--Botox is used to paralyze facial muscles to reduce the appearance of wrinkles--a number of people have come forward claiming personal injury. Last year, a jury awarded Sharla Helton $15 million for her Botox-related injuries. Helton, a 47-year-old doctor, says that the drug caused her to experience breathing problems, double vision, and pain in her feet, hands, and arms. Several months ago, Allergan settled the Santa Ana wrongful death case of Sondra Bryant, a 70-year-old woman who took Botox to relieve her neck pain. Her children claim that within days of taking the drug, she couldn't hold her head up. The lawsuit blames Allergan for marketing Botox for uses that the Food and Drug Administration had not approved.

Now, a new study says that Botox may also deaden a user's ability to understand other people's feelings. You can check Social Psychology and Personality Science for more information. In another study found in the journal Emotion, researches said that the drug might also impair a person's ability to feel.

Dangerous Drug Lawsuit
Drug manufacturers can be held liable if a product that they manufacture proves to be dangerous or it doesn't provide warnings about certain serious side effects. Medications are supposed to help not hurt. You may be able file a California products liability lawsuit against a negligent pharmaceutical company.

Jury orders Allergan to pay $212 million in Botox case, Reuters, April 29, 2011

$212 million verdict in Botox lawsuit, OC Register, April 29, 2011

Jury orders Allergan to pay $212 million in Botox case, Bloomberg, April 28, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Allergan

Botox

Social Psychology and Personality Science

Emotion

More Blog Posts:
Jury Selection Begins in Santa Ana, California Wrongful Death Trial Involving 7-Year-Old Who Was Given Botox Injections, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 25, 2010

US Supreme Court Takes on Dangerous Drug Lawsuits Over Warnings on Generic Labels, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 14, 2010

Movie Star Dennis Quaid Files Los Angeles Dangerous Drug Lawsuit Against Baxter Healthcare Corp. For Twins Near-Fatal Heparin Overdose, California Injury Lawyers Blog, May 29, 2010

Earlier this week, our Anaheim personal injury lawyers wrote about a Los Angeles personal injury settlement reached between the LA Dodgers and a spectator who broke his neck when a drunken man fell on him during a game at Dodger Stadium. Now, here is the latest on another injury incident that occurred last month on stadium grounds that has left someone else with injuries so serious that doctors at County-USC Medical Center had to return him to a medically induced comma.

San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow sustained brain damage and a fractured skull after he was beaten and kicked by two attackers on March 31. He was at the stadium parking after watching the Dodgers home opener when the incident happened.

Relatives of the 42-year-old father of two say that during the baseball game he texted his wife while he was still in the stadium saying that he felt "scared." Cory Maciel, one of Stow's friends who was at the game, said that just walking up to the stadium was "pretty hostile.. intimidating" and that Dodger fans threw "peanuts, hot dogs, and wrappers" the whole time they were there.

Since the attack, the Dodgers and the LAPD have heightened security in the parking lot and stadium. They've added more police on foot guard, horseback, and bicycles. Also, another 43 light stands have been added to the parking lot.

Meantime, police are still looking for the two men who attacked Stow.

Our Anaheim premises liability lawyers do not know at this time whether/not Stow's family intends to file a Los Angeles personal injury lawsuit against the Dodgers or other parties. However, if the Dodgers could/should have beefed up security and was/should have been aware that the fans could get a bit rowdy on the day of the game, the family may have grounds for a case. Stow's injuries are pretty severe and it is not known at this time how well he will recover. Costs for recovering from and living with a traumatic brain injury can be astronomical.

Beaten Giants fan is returned to medically induced coma, Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2011

Bryan Stow: Giants fan's friend describes attack, Reuters/Metro, April 12, 2011

Related Web Resource:
The Official Site of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Inadequate Security

More Blog Posts:
Dodgers Settle Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit with Fan Who Broke His Neck During Baseball Game, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 20, 2011

Man Stabbed to Death at Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel on New Year's Day, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 7, 2011

UCLA Student Files Los Angeles County Personal Injury Lawsuit Against the University of California Regents and the Student Who Stabbed Her, California Injury Lawyers Blog, December 11, 2010

Continue reading "Giants Fan Beaten At Dodger Stadium Placed in Medically Induced Coma" »

A jury has awarded $18.3 million to Cathy Liu for a brain injury she sustained during a California pedestrian accident in 2007. The defendant in this case is the city of Sacramento. Due to a pretrial agreement, damages are capped at $6 million.

A car hit Liu, now 29, on July 6, 2007 while jogging. The UC Davis doctor and former interest still suffers from aphasia, which has impaired her speaking ability, and she also has partial paralysis on her right side.

Lu's California traumatic brain injury case focused on the quality visibility along the road where she was struck. According to her personal injury attorney, the city was negligent in its supervision and control of the Freeport Boulevard "S" curve and didn't warn drivers going toward the curve, which slides around the Taylor's Market complex, that they are approaching a crosswalk. That pedestrian lane was where the vehicle hit Liu.

The driver of the vehicle that hit Liu, 67-year-old Douglas Wayne Seybert, was initially named a defendant in her California car crash lawsuit, but his name was later dismissed. City court papers said that he had removed his foot from the gas pedal and his vehicle was only moving at 18 to 20 mph when he struck Liu. Seybert, who has admitted that he suffers from vision problems because of diabetes, was found 39% liable for the California pedestrian accident. They found Liu 10% liable and the city of Sacramento 51% liable. The jury's findings were different from that of the police department, which determined that Liu was 100% liable because she violated Vehicle code provisions that prohibit pedestrians in unmarked or marked crosswalks from stopping or delaying traffic unnecessarily.

Orange County, California Traumatic Brain Injury Cases
Living with a brain injury can change a person's life in every single way. In addition to physical impairments and emotional disabilities that can result, the person's career and personal life may be adversely affected. The medical costs from living with the effects of a TBI can be astronomical.

The outcome of this case is a clear example of why--regardless of what the authorities say--you should still explore your options with an experienced Anaheim brain injury lawyer. If Liu hadn't filed her lawsuit, she wouldn't have been able to recover compensation for her TBI.

UC Davis Doctor with Brain Injury after accident is awarded $18.3 million, Sacramento Bee, April 1, 2011

Former resident awarded millions for traffic accident, ChicoER, April 2, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Brain Injury Association of America

The Brain Injury Recovery Network

More Blog Posts:
Bret Michaels Files Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit Against CBS and Tony Award Products, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 27, 2011

Toddler Attending Los Angeles Lakers Game Dies After Falling 50 Feet from Staples Center Luxury Seats, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 22, 2010

Los Angeles Products Liability Lawsuit Seeks Damages from Riddell Sports Inc. for Teen's Permanent Traumatic Brain Injury, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 31, 2010

Bret Michaels says that an accident he was involved in while performing at the 2009 Tony Awards caused him to develop a near-fatal brain injury several months later. He is seeking unspecified damages from CBS and Tony Award Productions.

The rocker was struck by a piece of scenery while he and his band Poison were performing at the show. He injured his lip and broke his nose. In his Los Angeles injury complaint, Michaels contends that he wasn't warned about any dangers presented by the descending scenery piece. He also says that he was not told that the set was going to change after the performance or that the scenery piece that struck him was going to be coming down. Michaels says that the defendants have been blaming him for what happened, claiming that he "missed his mark."

Although his injuries seemed minor at the time, Bret says that it is no coincidence that he went on to develop a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. He notes that head trauma is a common cause of this kind of hemorrhage, which is what happened when the set piece struck his face.

Subarachnoid Brain Hemorrhage
A Subarachnoid brain hemorrhage can occur when a blood vessel bursts in the area just outside of the brain. Common causes for this type of brain injury include head injury, infection, aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation, and atherosclerosis. About 1/3rd of people suffering from a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage end up dying from it.

Our Anaheim brain injury lawyers would be remiss in covering a story about a Los Angeles brain injury case without notifying our readers that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month.

CDC Traumatic Brain Injury Estimates:
• About 1.7M people sustain a TBI each year
• 52,000 die
• 275,000 are hospitalized
• 1.365M receive emergency care

Common causes of brain injuries include fall accidents, near drowning, traffic crashes, impact with a hard surface or object, and recreational activities.

Bret Michaels Sues -- The Tonys Almost KILLED Me, TMZ, March 25, 2011

Brett Michaels Sues the Tonys over 2009 Accident, NBC Chicago, March 25, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Brain Injury Awareness Month, Brain Injury Association of America

Aneurysms and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Cedars-Sinai

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

More Blog Posts:
Toddler Attending Los Angeles Lakers Game Dies After Falling 50 Feet from Staples Center Luxury Seats, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 22, 2010

$5.5 Million Los Angeles County Medical Malpractice Settlement Reached with Family of Redondo Beach Cheerleader who Sustained Permanent TBI, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 26, 2010

$40 Million Irvine Wrongful Death Lawsuit Seeks Compensation Over Woman's Fatal Orange County, California Slip and Fall at Great Park Ice Skating Rink, California Injury Lawyers Blog, August 4, 2010

Two new studies show that as more young motorcyclists get on their bikes without wearing helmets, the more likely they are to sustain long-term disabilities and serious head injuries, and that this, in turn, results in significant medical bills. The findings can be found in Pediatrics. While one study examines young riders and their head injuries and related medical expenses, the other looks at the effect that having a mandatory helmet law can have on riders.

Currently, only 20 US states, including California, and Washington DC have mandatory universal helmet laws. Other states have age-specific helmet use laws. Recently, however, the National Transportation Safety Board, called on all US states to adopt a mandatory universal helmet law regardless of age. According to study author Harold Weiss, several studies in the past have shown that when there are "youth-only laws" regarding helmet use rather than universal helmet laws, there is a significant drop in helmet use among young motorcyclists.

Weiss notes about 25% of all motorcycle-related traumatic brain injuries involving young riders under the age of 21 led to long-term disabilities. Also, patients with serious head injuries had an at least 10 times greater chance of dying in hospitals than those who hadn't sustained this type of injury. Per hospital discharge data from 38 states during the 2005 to 2007 period, in the 12- to 20-year-old age groups in 2006 motorcycle accidents were the cause of 3% of their injuries that warranted hospitalization.

More findings from the studies:
• 1/3rd of the 5,662 motorcycle accident victims under age 21 that ended up in the hospital in 2006 sustained TBIs. 91 of them died.

• About 50% of those who were hurt or killed belonged to the 18 to 20-year-old age groups. 90% of them were males.

• Head injuries resulted in lengthier hospital stays, costlier medical bills, and other motorcycle crash-related injuries.

California Motorcycle Accidents
Our Anaheim motorcycle crash lawyers are familiar with the devastating injuries that can affect anyone who has been hurt in an Orange County, California motorcycle accident . Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, head trauma, and burn injuries can irrevocably alter a person's future and lead to costly medical expenses. This is not the type of injury case that you want to pursue without legal help.

It was just today that coroner officials were able to identity the man killed in an Ortega Highway motorcycle crash on Sunday morning as Kenneth Brant. The 61-year-old Anaheim man was injured when his motorcycle collided with a BMW going in the opposite direction at the mile marker 125 located about 20 miles west of Lake Elsinore. The BMW driver sustained serious injuries during the collision. Per an initial investigation, the car driver appears to have crossed onto the opposite side of the road for an unknown reason. Manslaughter charges may be filed.

CHP investigating manslaughter charges in fatal crash, OC Register, November 29, 2010

Young Motorcycle Riders Suffering More Brain Injuries, Bloomberg Businessweek, November 19, 2010

NTSB calls for helmet laws nationally, Examiner.com, November 16, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Transportation Safety Board

Current US motorcycle and bicycle helmet laws, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Pediatrics

Continue reading "More Young Motorcycle Riders Suffering Traumatic Brain Injuries Because of Inadequate Helmet Laws " »

Authorities are investigating the death of Anthony Tang, a 2-year-old Garden Grove boy toddler who fell to his death from the third deck of the luxury seats to the lower seating bowl at the Staples Center on Sunday night. The Los Angeles fall accident took place just minutes after the LA Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors.

The boy's parents were taking photos with their camera when Tang wandered off and went over a glass partition to land some 50 feet down below. Witnesses say the toddler was still moving his legs and arms when he was taken a way on a stretcher. He later was pronounced dead from head injuries at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Autopsy results are still pending.

Los Angeles Fall Accidents
Falls from elevated heights can results in serious personal injuries. Broken bones, internal injuries, massive head injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and death can result. Premise owner are responsible for making sure that their property is free of any hazards that could cause someone to accidentally fall--whether during a slip and fall accident or from an elevated height, such as through a window on an elevated floor or from a balcony, a rooftop, or a stairwell.

Head Injuries
A head injury can be a very serious injury. Brain swelling, tissue tearing, and bleeding in the brain can occur when the brain moves inside the skull during impact.

Types of Head Injuries:
Concussion: Can cause brief loss of consciousness or temporary vision or balance loss.

Brain Contusion: A bruising of the brain that may include swelling and bleeding.

Skull Fracture: Involves a crack to the skull. In the event that a broken skull piece enters the brain, bleeding and other injury can occur.

Hematoma: Involves bleeding in the brain.

Some head injuries have proven fatal.

Death of boy in fall at Lakers game investigated, Reuters, November 22, 2010

2-year-old Falls to Death at Staples Center After Lakers Game, The Baltimore Sun, November 22, 2010

2-year-old who fell to his death at Lakers game had crawled out of parents' sight, Los Angeles, November 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Head Injuries, KidsHealth

Head Injuries: What to Watch for Afterward, FamilyDoctor

Continue reading "Toddler Attending Los Angeles Lakers Game Dies After Falling 50 Feet from Staples Center Luxury Seats " »