Accident, Car Accidents, How to Be a Good Plaintiff
Pain Relief Without Opiates
NEW ORLEANS, LA – As any sufferer knows, back pain is costly and difficult to endure. But you may not know that injuries to the back are one of the most common causes of pain in the United States today, with an astonishing 80% of adults suffering from acute or chronic back pain in their lifetime! In addition to being one of the more common injuries occurring as a result of the estimated five million annual car accidents, approximately one million back injuries are sustained in the workplace each year. The economic costs are high: nearly fifty billion dollars are spent annually on treatment, and over 264 million “days” are lost from work each year when spread across the population of afflicted employees.
However, one of the greatest concerns today are the dangers of addiction or dependency caused by narcotic pain medication. A recent review performed by Harvard University focused on the rise of narcotic pain medication for lower back pain and determined that there is little benefit of long term pain treatment with narcotics, and a very high risk of dependency, addiction, or even death found with long term narcotic use.
Today, many patients are foregoing narcotic pain medications to manage their pain in a different way. Epidural Steroid Injections, used since 1952, offer a patient weeks or even up to one year of pain relief following a single treatment, without any need for narcotic medication. This is because ESI provides a dose of anti-inflammatory steroid along with an anesthetic such as lidocaine, directly to the epidural space surrounding the spine. The procedure is quick, involving minimal discomfort.
Injections can also provide the relief needed for a patient to perform necessary therapeutic exercises, potentially shortening the recovery period, and are used as part of a comprehensive health-care plan that will consider individual needs and problems.
As with any medical procedure, Epidural Steroid Injection is not without risk. Bleeding or even infection at the sight has been known to occur. However, complications and side effects are rare for most people. Your doctor will help you to determine the best course of treatment for your unique situation.
ESI offers the back-pain sufferer many rewards, while also helping the patient to avoid the high risks associated with narcotic pain medication. If you require ESI due to an accident suffered as the result of another person’s negligence, the negligent party’s insurance company may be called on to pay for the cost of your Epidural Steroid Injections, along with compensation for your pain and suffering. If you have been the victim of another person’s negligence, contact The de Boisblanc Law Firm today to receive a free consultation.
Accident, Car Accidents, How to Be a Good Plaintiff, Motorcycle Accidents, Traumatic Brain Injury, Truck Accidents
Blood Test May Detect “Unseen” Brain Injury
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death worldwide, with an average of 155 people in the United States dying each day from injuries which include TBI. At The de Boisblanc Law Firm, we’re actively involved in securing justice for victims of TBI caused by another person’s negligence, and part of our efforts include keeping current with the latest advances in treatment, along with cutting edge methods of early TBI detection, so that treatment can be more effective.
Currently, methods of early detection are limited. Accident victims may not show pathology in CT or MRI scans which would support a TBI diagnosis, even though a brain injury has occurred. The victim may miss out on crucial medical interventions and appropriate treatment. However, a promising new advancement offers accident victims in the emergency setting the possibility of an early TBI diagnosis.
Medical researchers have discovered that plasma concentration of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) correlates with intracranial injury visible on CT scan. Perhaps more critically, this protein may concentrate in the blood after a head injury even when there are no positive findings using a CT scan or MRI scan. In layman’s terms, this means that a simple blood test done post-accident in the ER has the ability to alert medical professionals that a brain injury has occurred, even if radiological methods can’t detect your injury. Early intervention and rehabilitation for severe TBI are known to improve outcomes, giving the plasma GFAP test the potential to be an invaluable tool.
Studies regarding plasma GFAP are ongoing, and potential protocols are being discussed which consider utilizing the test to structure treatment in patients who show no visual or radiological evidence of TBI. This is important because many cases of TBI can’t yet be detected by CT or MRI scan, and there are many different mechanisms for causing injuries to the brain which leave very subtle signs.
Should this test become available and commonly used in local emergency departments, early detection of TBI will increase. So will the accident victim’s ability to secure justice for a TBI caused by someone else’s negligence. It can be difficult to prove the Traumatic Brain Injury to an insurance company, especially in mild cases where CT or MRI scans produce false negatives. The detection of a concentration of glial fibrillaryacidic protein provides objective evidence of injury.
The de Boisblanc Law Firm is experienced in fighting for justice for victims of Traumatic Brain Injury. If you or someone you love has received a Traumatic Brain Injury due to the negligence of another person or group, it’s important that you engage an experienced attorney as soon as possible, who can protect your rights and fight against the insurance companies while you focus on healing. Call The de Boisblanc Law Firm today to schedule your free consulation.
Accident, Car Accidents, How to Be a Good Plaintiff, Traumatic Brain Injury, Truck Accidents
Healing Traumatic Brain Injury
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Experienced in the handling of Traumatic Brain Injury cases, The de Boisblanc Law Firm understands the unique challenges faced by TBI patients. We’re not just committed to winning TBI victims money for their injuries; we’re also determined to help our clients increase their awareness of developing therapies and positive lifestyle changes which could lead to health improvements for TBI patients.
In previous articles we’ve discussed the complex injuries that are known generally as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI interrupts the normal functioning of the brain. Victims experience a range of symptoms from “brain fog” and emotional changes, to coma and loss of vital functions. The symptoms can resolve over time, they can be a part of a permanent change, or the injury can be fatal. The American Academy of Neurosurgeons estimates that nearly 1.7 million brain injuries occur each year, and of these, up to 70% may be caused by motor vehicle collisions. According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of TBI death for persons 5-24 years of age.
Due to the frequency of TBI, a great deal of research is ongoing to help understand how best to treat it. An increasing number of studies demonstrate that environmental and lifestyle factors, such as diet, can have a major impact on a TBI patient’s treatment outcome. For example, research shows that omega-3 fatty acids, can increase production of molecular systems that serve synaptic function, while diets rich in saturated fats do the opposite.
According to this study, vitamin E, found in certain nuts, oils, and vegetables such as spinach, functions as an antioxidant and is useful in “reducing free radicals in the brain which would otherwise impede optimal function of neurons.” Curcumin and caffeine are also examined for their effects on brain health.
Vitamin D supplements also are shown to help reduce inflammatory response and reduce neuronal injury.
A recent Institute of Medicine report identifies the B vitamin choline, creatine (an amino acid-like compound), n-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and zinc as the most promising areas for further research into the effects of nutrition on TBI.
These studies contribute to understanding and improving a holistic approach to treating Traumatic Brain Injury, accounting for the fact that the body has many interrelated systems. Neither these studies nor this article are intended to advise or replace medical treatment. Instead, they offer victims of Traumatic Brain Injury hope that with rapid scientific advancement, suffering can and will be lessened for many victims.
An essential component to recovering from any trauma is to obtain financial assistance. TBI often presents lifelong medical challenges. It’s important for any victim of an accident involving TBI, or their loved-ones, to hold the responsible party financially accountable. Insurance companies will try to settle your claim quickly, and for much less than its. In the aftermath of any accident, it’s important to consult with an experienced attorney regarding your rights. When the accident involves TBI, it’s essential to enlist an established, knowledgeable, and aggressive attorney who will hold the responsible party accountable, and seek the maximum available financial recovery. If you, or someone you love, has suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury due to the negligence or fault of another person, contact The de Boisblanc Law Firm today for a free consultation.
Accident, How to Be a Good Plaintiff
Recreational Immunity and Your Injury
LOUISIANA — A high-school student attends a school affiliated ROTC camping trip at a private facility, where he drowns in the campground’s lake. This scenario is one of many variations on a parent’s worst fear, especially as the young man was with trusted authorities in whom most parents would feel their trust was well placed. While litigation is never the first thought in such disastrous circumstances, eventually the grieving parents filed an action against multiple involved parties, including the school district and property owners, see Robinson v. Jefferson Par. Sch. Bd., 9 So. 3d 1035, 1044–45 (La. App. 5th Cir. 2009), writ denied, 17 So. 3d 975 (La. 2009). The immediate and natural thought would be that some responsible person was negligent, thus causing or contributing to the student’s death. It would seem logical to a lay person that the school and/or the campsite would be responsible for any such negligence. However, in this case and other cases with certain facts in common, an accident victim or their surviving next-of-kin would not be able to recover any damages due to Louisiana’s recreational immunity statutes.
Recreational immunity is granted to certain landowners under LSA-R.S. 9:2791 and R.S. 9:2795, meaning that persons injured while involved in recreational activities on the landowner’s property might not be able to recover damages for their injuries. Recreational activities often come with high risk of injury, and include but are not not limited to the following: hunting, fishing, trapping, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking and hiking. The intention was to persuade owners of vast tracks of rural property to allow the public to recreate on their land, by preventing the landowner from being held liable if, for example, a hunter injured himself by falling into a hole left behind by an uprooted and fallen tree. Clearly, a landowner could not be expected to spend innumerable hours patrolling his property for naturally occurring hazards threatening individuals who may cross that property, with or without the owner’s knowledge. When seen in this light, recreational immunity statutes are a sensible compromise between protecting property owners, and promoting public recreation (which for the good of society as a whole). In the past, in order to be immune under the statute, a three prong test would have to be met, as follows: 1) Is the area where the injury occurred undeveloped, non-residential, and rural or semi-rural? 2) Was the injury the result of activities that can be pursued in the “true outdoors”? 3) Was the injury-causing instrumentality of the type that would normally be encounters in the “true outdoors”?
However, in 1985, the Legislature amended La. R.S. 9:2795(B)(1)(c) to add “caused by any defect in the land regardless of whether naturally occurring or manmade.” And in 2001, La. R.S. 9:2795 was again amended to include urban land as well as rural, which some have argued defeats the entire original purpose of exposing the public to natural wilderness. As a result of this, we see defendants arguing for immunity when patrons injure themselves on dilapidated man-made structures in public city parks, or other such fact patterns wherein immunity would never have been previously considered.
Plaintiffs should know, however, that there are still exceptions to recreational immunity which would allow recovery for damages in such an accident. If you have been injured in any recreational activity, it’s important to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible, to help you understand how recreational immunity statutes may alter your rights. The de Boisblanc Law Firm offers free consultations for accident victims, including victims of accidents which may involve recreational immunity statutes. Call today to find the answers you need!