California Personal Injury Attorney
Californians who suffered personal injuries can consult a California personal injury attorney. Victims should be provided with conscientious, professional and ethical representation in a timely and cost effective manner. In most personal injury cases, lawyers accept the representation on a contingency fee basis such that the lawyers are compensated only upon the successful conclusion of the case. Many personal injury attorneys regularly insist upon a fee in excess of one-third or employ a sliding scale fee structure such that the fees increase as the case progresses. While some accept the representation for a straight 1/3 contingency fee, which remains the same even if the firm proceeds through trial. Some law firms have services that have been developed to make a real difference to the lives of those suffering from brain and head injury and go beyond legal advice. They can provide immediate financial assistance, private nursing, rehabilitation solutions and modifications to housing and vehicles.
More than 5.3 million Americans live with a disability as a result of a traumatic brain injury. Many of these individuals and their families are confronted with inadequate or unavailable services and supports that specifically address the health, behavioral, psychological, and cognitive issues created by traumatic brain injury. Severe traumatic brain injury can cause death, coma, permanent vegetative state, chronic under-arousal, serious disorders of swallowing or communication, seizures, storming, muscle paralysis, muscle spasticity, abnormal bone growth, apathy, disinhibition, dementia or psychosis. Moderate traumatic brain injury can cause substantial lifetime impairments of cognitive, visual, motor, emotional, social, sexual or vocational functioning with ongoing need for home assistance, job assistance and therapies. Mild traumatic brain injury causes headache and subtle decrements in attention, memory, information processing speed, information synthesis, organization and task execution associated with anxiety, depression, irritability and lost self confidence.
Head injuries include both injuries to the brain and those to other parts of the head, such as the scalp and skull. Head injuries may be closed or open. A closed (non-missile) head injury is one in which the skull is not broken. A penetrating head injury occurs when an object pierces the skull and breaches the dura mater. Brain injuries may be diffuse, occurring over a wide area, or focal, located in a small, specific area.
Specific problems after head injury can include skull fracture, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral contusion, a bruise of the brain, concussion, a temporary loss of function due to trauma and dementia pugilistica, or “punch-drunk syndrome”, caused by repetitive head injuries, for example in boxing or other contact sports. A severe injury may lead to a coma or death.
California personal injury attorneys focus their practice on bringing to justice those who are responsible for accidents and injuries. Along with the attorneys, the staff of law firm will also help evaluate and assist in the recovery of all of the client’s available insurance benefits from such sources as medical insurance, disability insurance, med pay benefits, uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection benefits. These additional services enhance the clients’ ability to secure the treatment they need to recover from their injuries to the maximum extent possible.
