The Anatomy of a Traumatic Brain Injury

The human brain is an incredibly complex organ. It does not take much force to cause traumatic, life-threatening damage to the brain. The skull and protective tissues surrounding the brain are meant to reduce the effects of sudden trauma, but they are not always enough. Brain injuries are extraordinarily difficult to treat, but a patient's odds of survival depend on the type of injury and the judgment of the physicians treating it.

Most traumatic brain injuries are the result of direct force being applied to the skull. Usually this involves the victim's head hitting a hard surface, or an external object (such as a falling object) hitting the skull. Additionally, strong acceleration alone can cause damage. For example, the intense forces of an automobile accident can cause the brain to collide with the skull, even without anything impacting the victim's head.

Traumatic brain injuries also vary greatly in severity. Injuries caused by the brain hitting the inside of the skull are known as concussions. Concussions can cause serious damage to the brain, but less-severe concussions are common among athletes. More traumatic injuries are usually divided into two groups: "closed" injuries, where the brain is not exposed, and "open" injuries, where the brain is exposed to the air. Closed injuries may seem less dangerous, but swelling can cause brain damage.

The effects of a traumatic brain injury depend on the part of the brain affected. Since different regions of the brain regulate different parts of the body, damage to certain structures can cause specific losses of ability. Someone with a serious injury to the parts of the body that control speech may be unable to speak. More serious injuries may leave victims in a coma or permanently disabled.

Victims of traumatic brain injuries should not have to bear the burden of an injury caused by another person. A serious injury can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost income and earning potential, and years of suffering and rehabilitation. If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury because of another person's negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.

Personal Injury a Risk For Ontario Residents

The city of nearly 200,000 is located in San Bernardino County of California. The city has seen their fair share of fatal car accidents and other severe personal injuries in recent years.

One accident described as "the worst accident... in terms of the number of fatalities and children" a California High Patrol officer, who was working on the scene, had ever seen, happened on the 10 Freeway near Vineyard Avenue. A 30-year-old woman driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle and struck a large eucalyptus tree before impacting a soundwall. She and four of her six passengers died, while the survivors - children ages 3 and 10 - remained in critical condition.

The California Highway Patrol reported that since the truck, an F-150, only seated six total, the seventh passenger was not likely wearing a seatbelt. Though unclear initially what caused the crash, a resident who lives on the other side of the soundwall said accident happen "quite often here."

After some investigation, this already dangerous stretch of freeway was proven to not be the only factor in the accident: an odd tire was left behind amidst the mangled steel of the crash. The tire was from the left rear of the F-150 and was manufactured by Continental Tire who had recalled certain sizes of its ContiTrac AW tires in 2002. The tread from the F-150's tire was torn off in the fashion that had been reported for the recalled tires with "lower than specified rubber gauge between the belt edges."

It is possible that a faulty piece of a equipment was the reason that five people died in this tragic accident. An Ontario personal injury lawyer would suggest staying current with any reports on recalled equipment and to pursue any product liability lawsuits that may arise if you have been the victim of malfunctioning car parts or any other kind of product.

Ontario Increases Safety Traffic Features and Illegal Firework Citations

An intersection near Chaffey High has recently been restructured after it became the site of two separate hit-and-run injury accidents. The first victim was a 15 year-old boy who was riding his bike across the Euclid Avenue portion of the intersection. His father pleaded with the city council to improve the crosswalk there to lower the risk of future pedestrian accidents.

The revision did not come soon enough for a 17-year-old girl who was critically injured while crossing the intersection only a couple months later. The family of the girl filed a $5 million claim against the school district for the danger surrounding the school and the city promptly worked with Caltrans to install a standard traffic light that can be triggered for pedestrians needing to cross.

Illegal firework laws have also become more strict, especially around the 4th of July and New Years. The fine has increased to $1,000 for possession of illegal fireworks and many more checkpoints are planned to find people attempting to transport fireworks from Nevada into San Bernardino County. In 2004, officers passed out 104 citations and in 2005 they passed out 68 in the county.

The increase in fines and concern is to protect residents, their children and their property from catastrophic injury that is often a result of dangerous fireworks being set off amidst celebrations.

Though it seems the new laws are affective, "There's a lot more work that needs to be done," according to a police detective of Fontana, a neighboring city to Ontario.

Maritime Law - The Effects of Hazardous Weather on Maritime Workers

Nobody likes nasty weather. Hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes and even just foggy, soggy days are a plain nuisance and not something that anyone truly looks forward to. For people who spend their lives and make their living on the sea though, bad weather is more than just a nuisance; it can be a mortal threat. Maritime workers are in an already risky business as there is a chance, every time that their ship sets out for sea that it might not return. Add to that the constantly changing and sometimes volatile nature of the sea and the dangers that seaman face on a day to day basis is already extraordinarily high. Throw in some truly severe weather and you have a recipe for disaster.

Most people would probably venture to say that smart money would be on staying ashore during hazardous weather. The truth of the situation though is that often bad weather comes up out at sea, and the ship and crew have no option other than to weather the storm where they are. There is really very little chance of outrunning a storm, and they very rarely follow a totally predictable pattern. Another fact is that, for a ship, bad weather is often best weathered away from port, where there is less chance of the ship being dashed upon rocks. For a ship's owner and captain, preserving the vessel is often top of mind.

For a maritime worker, hazardous weather means that there is extra work that needs to be done. While those that work on land can hunker down during an ice storm, and wait for it to pass, those aboard a ship must constantly work to break the ship free from the ice. During a tropical storm, people on shore stay inside, barricaded against the winds and rain. Maritime workers often find themselves out in the thick of it, lashing lines, securing beams and making sure that all that is supposed to be on deck stays on deck.

For maritime workers, hazardous weather means that their already dangerous jobs are even more risky, and that their increased mortality rates are even higher than usual. For fisherman especially this can be a near deadly situation. Many fishing boats will continue to drop their nets and trawl, even during vicious storms, all in the hopes of landing a good catch. For the fishermen aboard the boat, this means also hoping that they are able to stay aboard and unharmed.