Regardless of how well a person pays attention to the traffic laws of Allegheny County, he or she could find themselves the victim of a collision with another vehicle and consequently a brain injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that car accidents are the second leading cause of brain injuries in the United States.
Just before Thanksgiving last year, a 55-year-old woman driving in Bucks County was transported to a local hospital with a traumatic brain injury after a man hit her at high speed. The Doylestown-Buckingham-New Britain Patch also reported that the woman's granddaughter was killed in the collision. Authorities say that the man was travelling at about 142 to 154 miles per hour when the fatal accident happened.
Brain injury complications
When someone suffers a serious brain injury, it can affect them for the rest of their life. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that once a person suffers brain damage from a brain injury, it cannot be reversed. This is because there is no current treatment for a brain injury other than to stabilize the victim and prevent further damage from occurring.
The brain controls the body's primary functions and when a portion of the brain is hit, it can cause a wide array of symptoms. These symptoms include:
- Loss of speech.
- Confusion.
- Memory loss.
- Personality changes.
- Loss of physical movement.
- Coma.
Sometimes these symptoms clear up within a few days and sometimes it can take months, years or the injury may be permanent. This makes them difficult for medical professionals because no two brain injuries are exactly the same.
Progesterone clinical trial
While there is limited treatment options for victims of brain injuries, the results of a current phase three clinical trial could change that. According to KABC, researchers are conducting an international trial, called SyNAPSe, in over 150 sites to test the potential healing powers of a human hormone called progesterone. The hormone has shown the ability to reduce brain swelling and cell death in preliminary trials.
The trial is a blind trial, which means that the patients and their families are not told whether they received the hormone or a placebo. The hormone must be injected into the victim within eight hours of the accident occurring and then for five consecutive days. Researchers are following the patients for up to six months in order to determine the effects of the treatment. If it is successful, the hormone could become the first standard treatment ever for brain injury.
Seeking compensation
Due to the fact that brain injuries are so complicated, it can be difficult to determine how much compensation a victim or the victim's family should ask for from the party at fault. Careful consideration needs to be made regarding long term care and potential complications later on. When it comes to brain injuries from car accidents or other acts of negligence, it is a good idea to seek the experience and knowledge of an attorney who has handled these types of cases.