Children suffer a lot of child injuries, and they bounce back from most of them. Between the ages of 10 and 14, children break bones at the same rate as seniors over 65. But within six weeks, their bones heal, and they resume their activities.
Brain injuries are a different matter. When a child suffers a brain injury, they might suffer lifelong physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. They might even need a caretaker for the rest of their lives.
If your child has suffered a brain injury in Los Angeles, California due to someone’s negligence, contact or call M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at (877) 300-4535.
How M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help Recover Compensation for Your Child’s Brain Injuries in Los Angeles, CA
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers was founded in 2013. Our Los Angeles brain injury attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience representing children and their parents against those responsible for their injuries.
Our lawyers have successfully secured over $400 million in injury compensation. We’re here to help you seek a fair financial recovery if your child was injured in an accident.
If you hire our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers for help with your child’s brain injury claim, we’ll:
- Determine how the accident happened and identify who is liable
- Consult leading experts – including medical specialists – who will help us prove the impact of the brain injury on your child’s life
- Value your claim and ensure we include all losses
- Negotiate on your behalf as we work towards a fair settlement for your family
- Represent your child in court if necessary
You could face millions of dollars in expenses to care for your child’s brain injuries over their lifetime. To discuss your child’s case and the compensation you can secure for their future, contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers.
How Common Are Child Brain Injuries?
Sadly, child brain injuries are very common. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. The injury rate between 2006 and 2013 was about 70 to 75 TBI cases for every 100,000 children.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported 2,702 children hospitalized for TBIs in 2015. California hospitals treated and released another 62,876 children with TBIs.
These statistics show that around 27 out of every 100,000 children in California were hospitalized with a TBI that year. And about 638 children out of every 100,000 California children were treated and released after suffering a TBI.
This number is shockingly high when translated into percentages: Over 0.6% of California children under 18 suffered a TBI in just one year.
Overview of Child Brain Injuries
The brain controls the nervous system. The nervous system, in turn, controls the entire body.
When your child suffers a brain injury, they can suffer physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, including:
- Chronic pain
- Paralysis
- Muscle weakness and spasms
- Numbness or tingling
- Loss of vision, hearing, smell, or taste
- Intellectual and learning disabilities
- Emotional outbursts
- Depression and anxiety
As a result of these symptoms, your child may require physical, mental health, and occupational therapy. They may be unable to train for a job or work. Your child may even need skilled nurses or caretakers to help them meet their daily needs.
Causes of Child Brain Injuries in California
According to the CDPH, the most common causes of nonfatal child brain injuries in 2015 included:
These five causes accounted for over 95% of all child brain injuries in 2015. But other causes, such as medical malpractice, drownings, ATV and motorcycle crashes, and pedestrian accidents, have equally devastating consequences.
Types of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries can happen in a few ways, such as:
Blunt Trauma
Blunt trauma happens when a child hits their head on an object that does not cause an open wound. For example, a child could suffer a brain injury after getting struck by a car and hitting their head.
Rapid Acceleration/Deceleration
Rapid acceleration and deceleration cause the brain to move in the skull. This shaking tears and bruises the brain. The motion can also rupture blood vessels in the brain, causing bleeding and blood clots. Concussions, diffuse axonal injuries (also known as shaken baby syndrome), and contusions can result.
Penetrating Injuries
Penetrating injuries happen when an object pierces the skull and enters the brain tissue. These injuries destroy brain cells and can cause bleeding and swelling that lead to coma or death.
Anoxic Brain Damage
Anoxic injuries happen when the brain does not receive enough oxygen. Just three minutes without oxygen can cause permanent brain damage. Ten minutes without oxygen will often result in death.
Liability for Child Brain Injuries in Los Angeles, CA
To prove liability for child brain injuries, you probably need to show that someone acted negligently. Negligence means that someone acted without reasonable care.
For example, a driver who broke California’s traffic laws and hit a child riding a bicycle would bear liability for the resulting brain injury. Similarly, a restaurant that left a puddle on the restroom floor that caused a child to slip and hit their head would bear liability for the accident.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyers for Help With Your Child’s Case
Child brain injuries can have consequences that follow children for the rest of their lives. To discuss how you can secure your child’s future through an injury claim, contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
