Drake Law Firm Supports Brain Injury Awareness Month

As a personal injury practice that fights for people injured in preventable accidents, Drake Law Firm is proud to show our support for Brain Injury Awareness Month 2021!

Organized by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), Brain Injury Awareness Month educates the public about these serious injuries and the consequences they can have for victims and families. 

Although there are more than 5 million people in the U.S. living with a permanent brain injury-related disability, brain injuries are one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed conditions. According to the BIAA, a lot of that has to do with our evolving understanding that brain injuries are more than just a single event or outcome – they are a chronic neurological disease.

Key Facts About Brain Injuries

When people talk about brain injury, they are talking about acquired brain injuries, which means they are not hereditary or present at birth. Instead, they happen during a person’s life due to various causes. Some of the most common include:

• Trauma, including blunt-force injuries suffered in falls and motor vehicle accidents.
• Oxygen deprivation, which can be caused by drowning, choking, or surgery complications.
• Stroke, seizure disorders, and substance abuse or overdose.
• Toxic exposure, electrical shock, and infectious disease.

While we have a lot to learn about how brain injuries affect people, and why some may suffer minor symptoms while others suffer severe consequences, we do know they can cause short- and long-term changes in the brain that affect:

1. Thinking, including memory and reasoning. 
2. Sensation, such as vision and balance.
3. Language, or how we communicate and understand.
4. Emotion, including mood and behavior, anxiety, and depression.

Some other facts about brain injuries:

• Brain injury can increase a person’s risk for neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s.
• Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and they can also have long-term consequences.
• Multiple head injuries, including repeated concussions, can have severe effects on the brain (as seen in sports like football). In a short period of time (hours, days, or weeks), multiple mTBIs can be catastrophic or fatal.

Brain Injuries & Negligence: Your Rights After a Brain Injury

As personal injury attorneys, we represent many victims who have suffered brain injuries because of someone else’s negligence. This includes negligence that leads to: 

• Preventable car or truck accidents

• Motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents
• Slip and falls caused by unsafe conditions
• Accidents on construction sites

Because brain injuries can deeply affect victims in their day-to-day lives, and place emotional and financial strains on entire families, it is not uncommon for personal injury cases involving TBI or other types of brain damage to be high-value claims. After all, victims can incur many financial and emotional losses because of their injuries and may have long-term or lifelong needs.

This being the case, it is incredibly important that brain injury victims work with experienced attorneys when bringing claims against at-fault parties. A skilled lawyer can provide the legal firepower needed to help victims account for all their losses and pursue a financial recovery for damages such as:

• Medical bills and future treatment
• Costs associated with medications and medical devices
• Cognitive rehab and therapy
• Lost wages and diminished earning potential 
• Pain and suffering

At Drake Law Firm, we know what it takes to help victims fight for the full compensation they deserve. Since founding our firm, Attorney Benjamin Drake and our team have fought aggressively for clients injured by negligence and have recovered more than $150 million on their behalf. We are always available to help people better understand their rights after suffering preventable injuries.

If you would like to show your support for Brain Injury Awareness Month, you can use the #MoreThanMyBrainInjury hashtag on social media or visit biausa.org to learn more about brain injuries and ways to get involved.