Traumatic Brain Injury from Michigan Auto Accidents

Automobile accidents are the second-leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Michigan. That’s because the human brain is very susceptible to damage from the forces generated by a typical auto accident. TBI lawyers commonly see brain injuries when the head strikes an object during a crash, such as a windshield or dashboard. 

But the brain can also suffer injury without a direct blow to the head. The impact from a collision can cause the brain to undergo a sudden backward and forward motion, commonly referred to as “whiplash.” Whiplash is considered a closed-head injury, as it takes place within the skull.  If you have questions or wish to speak to a brain injury lawyer directly about your circumstances, please call Michigan Auto Law at (800) 777-0028.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that nearly 2 million people suffer TBI each year in the United States, principally from car accidents. The NIH also states that TBI affects people of all ages and is the leading cause of long-term disability among children and young adults.

TBI: The Silent Epidemic

Brain injuries are called the “silent epidemic” by many doctors and lawyers familiar with TBI for two reasons. The first is the vast number of people who live with some form of disability caused by traumatic brain injury. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are approximately 300,000 hospital admissions in the U.S. every year for people with TBI, and an additional unknown number of traumatic brain injuries that are not diagnosed but may result in long-term disability.

The second reason traumatic brain injuries are called the “silent epidemic” is because TBI cases can be so challenging for lawyers to prove. Many traumatically brain injured accident victims appear normal; most speak well and don’t display obvious signs of a brain injury. Even medical classifications for TBI are misleading. Most people are diagnosed with “mild” traumatic brain injury, but this is a medical classification only. It doesn’t mean the disabilities and impairments are also mild.   

An additional challenge to proving TBI for many Michigan brain injury lawyers is that the diagnostic testing most doctors use for brain injuries is an MRI or CT scan, which normally do not detect mild and moderate TBI and yield normal neurological examination results. However, this doesn’t mean traumatic brain injury cases cannot be proven and won at trial by TBI lawyers.

Selecting a Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
If you or someone you know has suffered brain injury as a result of an auto accident in Michigan, we can guide you through the legal process with ease and help obtain the best resolution for your case. Because our lawyers have been handling traumatic brain injury litigation for more than 50 years, we understand the physical, emotional and psychological hardships you are experiencing from your accident.

Steven Gursten is a member of the American Association for Justice Traumatic Brain Injury Group and lectures across the country on TBI accident cases. He has received the highest recorded jury verdicts and settlements for Michigan traumatic brain injury cases, including a $5.65 million verdict, a $4.2 million verdict and a $2.5 million settlement. All of those cases had defense offers of only $100,000-$250,000.

David Christensen, who will be 2010 president of the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, has received the largest psychiatric injury verdict in Michigan as well as a $2 million jury verdict for a victim of traumatic brain injury — on a defense offer of zero dollars. Robert Raitt, immediate past president of the Michigan Association for Justice, has received a $1.1 million jury verdict for a traumatic brain injury case.

Please call Michigan Auto Law at (800) 777-0028 for a case evaluation with no fee or obligation, or fill out our free consultation form.

Did our Michigan traumatic brain injury attorneys answer all of your questions about TBI from auto accidents? If not, contact us and we can help.