Tucson Personal Injury Lawyer - Head & Brain Injuries

SeaWorld Performer Suffers Head Injury

Chrissie Cole — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:36:15 GMT

A SeaWorld performer was trasported to the hospital with a head injury after he fell and hit his head while performing in the Cirque de la Mer show.

The fall happened just after 5 p.m. while the performer was inside a large plastic sphere called a Zorb, according to a SeaWorld spokesman. The performer was transported to the hospital, his injuries did not appear to be serious.

This is the second accident to happen at the Cirque de la Mer in just a few weeks. In the previous accident, a performer suffered a head injury after falling from a 20 foot pole.

If you or a loved one has suffered a head or brain injury, you can use the form on the right to contact one of our personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.

For more information on this topic, please visit Head Injury Information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Mom Arrested for Treating Son's Fatal Head Injury With Popsicle

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 23:13:07 GMT

A 24-year-old mother has been arrested for treating her 2-year-old son's head injury with a Popsicle, instead of calling 911. The boy later died from the fatal head injury.

The boy fell eight feet down a u-shaped stairwell in their apartment building on Wednesday morning, according to police. Investigators say instead of calling 911 for assistance, she placed a Popsicle on her son's head and put him to bed.

When the father arrived home later, he found the boy unresponsive. Officers found bruises and marks around the toddlers head and dried blood on his nose and mouth.

The Mother is being charged with injury to a child by omission/criminal negligence.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Arizonans Face Big Brain Injury Risks

Christina Cole — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 22:07:52 GMT

Arizonans suffer the highest rate of traumatic brain injuries of states that were surveyed. These brain injuries are resulting in lasting physical and/or mental impairment, most commonly by car accidents and physical assaults.

What is most tragic - is how young people are being affected. Infants, teens and young adults in Arizona suffer higher traumatic brain injury rates than any of the other states investigated, according to a new survey by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"A disorder of major public health significance" is how the National Institutes of Health describes the problem, noting that the 2 million Americans affected by this every year face "lifelong impairment of physical, cognitive and psychosocial function," resulting in very high rates of divorce, unemployment and substance abuse.

Arizona's problem emerged in a recent two-year study conducted by the CDC in an effort to get an idea of how extensive traumatic brain injury -- brain damage caused by an external physical force -- is in the U.S.
Among 12 states surveyed in 2002, Arizona's rate of hospitalizations for such injuries topped all others, at 96.7 per 100,000 population. That was well above the average rate of these states, at 79, and almost double the lowest state, Nebraska, at 50.6.

In the most recent year surveyed, 2003, the problem worsened, with Arizona's rate rising to 105 per 100,000 population. Again, that was worst among the nine states surveyed that year, easily beating the average 88, and this time more than doubling Nebraska's low of 51.8.

Read More about Arizona, Brain Injury Risks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Former Eagle Waters Suffered Brain Damage

Christina Cole — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:12:07 GMT

According to a forensic pathologist who studied Waters' brain tissue, brain damage caused on the football field led to the suicide of the former NFL defensive back Andre Waters.
Bennet Omaul of the University of Pittsburgh told the New York Times that Waters' brain tissue resembled an 85-year-old man and there were characteristics of early stage Alzheimer's. Omalu believed the damage was related to many concussions Waters sustained during his 12-year NFL career.
Waters was 44 when he committed suicide in November.
"No matter how you distort it, look at it or bend it, trauma was a significant factor in Waters' brain damage," said Omalu.
Additionally the pathologist said the signs of depression that the family described Waters as displaying in his final years, was most likely caused by brain trauma. Had he lived, the former player would have been fully incapacitated within ten years.
The Alzheimer's Association reports a strong link between serious head injury and future risk of Alzheimer's.
Omalu began his research at the request of Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard football player and professional wrestler whose career was ended by multiple concussions. After hearing of Waters' suicide, Nowinski called Waters' sister, Sandra Pinkney, and asked permission to do further investigation on her brother's remains.
Nowinski chose Omalu because he had examined the brains of two former Pittsburgh Steelers players who were discovered to have brain trauma after sustaining concussions - Mike Webster, who suffered brain damage and died of heart failure in 2002, and Terry Long, who killed himself in 2005.
Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Doctor Surrenders License to Avoid Discipline

Christina Cole — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:17:57 GMT

After the state accused him of prescribing controlled substances while his license was suspended, a Delray Beach doctor who was the center of one of the biggest medical malpractice verdicts in Palm Beach County history, has agreed to give up his medical license.
The State Board of Medicine is expected to accept the deal with Dr. Attila Eagleman when they convene on February 2nd in Orlando, Florida.

In February 2004, a Palm Beach County Circuit Court ordered Eagleman and Behesda Memorial Hospital to pay $63 million in damages for causing a baby to be born with severe brain damage in 1997. Eagleman was Jennifer Korzeniowski's obstetrician and delivered her son. Labor was induced by Eagleman who was concerned the baby was too big for normal delivery.
The baby weighed a normal six pounds at birth and spent almost three weeks in neonatal intensive care after delivery complications caused by forceps. Three months after the verdict, Bethesda settled its part of the case for $20 million. However, the doctor has been in litigation with his own medical practice insurer after paying his part of the settlement. Eagleman only had $250,000 malpractice coverage.
Luke has undergone 14 operations on his brain and spine. He requires round the clock care due to severe brain damage.
According to state medical board records, Eagleman could not attend the trial because he was acting "overly anxious and aggressive" because of steroids he was taking for a medical condition.
Bethesda's physician advisory committee referred Eagleman to the state's impaired practitioners program because of his "aberrant and inappropriate" behavior during trial. Eagleman rejected the program's recommendation that he subject himself to random drug and psychological testing. Instead, Eagleman decided to put his medical license on inactive status, which occurred in 2005.
In November 2006, the state received a complaint that Eagleman had prescribed a controlled substance. In lieu of more discipline, the doctor opted to give up his license.
Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Lawsuit Settled in Death of Woman on Disneyland Ride

Christina Cole — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:34:02 GMT

A lawsuit brought on by the heirs of Cristina Moreno, against the Walt Disney Co. has reached a settlement, according to their attorney, prompting cancellation of scheduled pretrial motions and the start of jury selection.
Moreno, from Spain, was on her honeymoon when she suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage after riding the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. Immediately after getting off the ride on June 25, 2000, Moreno said she felt as though her "head was rolling around" according to Barry Novack, the family's attorney.
Moreno passed out after returning to their Hollywood hotel, according to the suit. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and then transferred by air ambulance to Spain where she never regained consciousness and died on September 1, 2000.

The lawsuit claimed Disneyland officials failed to make the Indiana Jones attraction safer or adequately warn passengers of the risk despite knowledge of previous injuries.
Two other brain-injury lawsuits were filed by riders in the past. Novack handled those two cases, and they were also settled.
The state did not investigate because it was never informed of the incident, and Disneyland officials said they didn't know about the death until the lawsuit was filed.
Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Founder of Atlantic Records Dies of Head Injury

Christina Cole — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:48:29 GMT

Ahmet, Ertegun, mentor and founder of Atlantic Records, died at age 83. Ahmet Ertegun, fell backstage in October during a Rolling Stones concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York. He injured his head causing major brain injury that caused his death. After being taken to the hospital, Eretegun slipped into a coma on October 29th.
Ertegun turned Atlantic Records (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Bee Gees ...) into a powerhouse with the help of a $10,000 loan from his dentist. Later Warner Seven-Art bought the label in '67. Even though Warner Seven-Art bought into the label Ertegun managed to stay on to help create the albums we all love, which changed two years later.
The label is under Warner Music Group, and includes a roster of artists such as Kid Rock, Lil Kim and Missy Elliott.
"All of us at Atlantic Records are profoundly saddened by the loss of our founder and mentor," said Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman.
Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole