Traumatic Brain Injury: Ask the Right Questions

Traumatic Brain Injury: Ask the Right Questions

• February 28, 2024 - Traumatic Brain Injury,

I’m Mike Hackard with Hackard Law. I’ve got a long history of passionately representing plaintiffs in areas of law that have impacted me or people close to me.

In the 1990s, I represented hundreds of people that were adversely impacted by pharmaceutical products that were ultimately withdrawn from the marketplace. I went through this myself, helping to lead a class action on an anti-seizure medication that imperiled my own life.

I’ve litigated scores of financial elder abuse, estate, and trust cases over the last several years.

Motivation for this focus came in part from my mother’s ordeal with her aunt’s caregiver, who froze my mom’s family out of any contact with the aunt. We’ve added traumatic brain injury litigation to our repertoire.

Brain trauma and its effects are not new to us. Our contingency fee estate and trust litigation practice regularly involves brain-related diseases and systems. My personal experience with a brain tumor in the early 1990s was its own wake up call. Recovery from serious brain surgery, some period of impairment, and the lifelong need for medications gives me empathy for those struggling with brain related injuries.

So now that we’re accelerating our traumatic brain injury practice, I’ll share with you, in part, the fifteen screening questions that help the injured party to reflect on some of their own experiences. They are:

1. 1. Did you hit your head? If so, where?
      2. Did you experience loss of consciousness or alteration of consciousness?
      3. Did you have nausea and vomiting?
      4. Have you experienced any changes in memory or thinking, vision, hearing, touch, balance, gait, coordination, strength, sensation, or reflexes?
      5. Have you undergone any brain imaging (CT or MRI)?
      6. Have you been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury by a healthcare professional?
      7. Can you provide details about how the injury occurred?
      8. Have you experienced any neurological deficits, such as weakness, loss of balance, change in vision, or difficulty with language?
      9. Have you noticed any changes in your behavior or emotions since the injury?
      10. Have you sought treatment for your injury?
      11. Have you been diagnosed with any other conditions related to the brain injury?
      12. Have you experienced any pain or suffering as a result of the injury?
      13. Have you had any accommodations or modifications made to your home or daily routine?
      14. Have you used any assistive or mobility devices?
      15. Have you received any personal or household aid?

A law firm cannot effectively be all things to all people. You won’t see us filing securities cases, corporate breach of contract disputes, or dozens of other issues best left to lawyers who focus on them. For now, we’re happy to continue to actively litigate cases that involve cognition, whether evolving from estate and trust issues or car accidents.

It is said that traumatic brain injury is a silent injury. Clients may not recognize these personal changes themselves. Physicians, vocational, and biomechanical experts (among others) are often those who can shine a light on this silent injury. TBI should not be overlooked.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident and you want to talk with us about your case, call us at Hackard Law: 916-313-3030.

Hackard Law: We don’t get paid for activity; we only get paid for being right.