The Law Offices of James M. Freeman, P.C.

 News this weekend of Dave Duerson's suicide should make people think about the long term effects of head injuries.  Even before I heard about his death I had intended to write a blog about the lack of understanding most people have regarding the long term effects of concussions and head injuries. 

Brain injuries can be the most debilitating and difficult injuries from which to recover, not just for the injured person, but also for those close to the injured person. Every brain injury is unique. Brain injuries can affect nearly every aspect of one’s life from being able to take care of personal needs to work and family relationships. Depending upon the severity of the injury, physical, cognitive and emotional/behavioral consequences can range from mild and manageable with the proper therapies to complete dependence in all areas of care.

I see brain injuries over and over in my bicycle cases. The severity of theses injuries varies widely from a headache to permanent functional brain damage. My experience is that there is no silver bullet when it comes to brain injuries. People who use helmets suffer brain injuries as well. If the hit is hard enough you can still have a brain injury despite proper helmet use.