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Brain Injuries

Upstate New York Brain Injury Attorneys

Securing Fair Compensation for Victims of Head Injuries and Brain Damage

Brain injuries are medically classified as mild, moderate or severe, but this classification can be misleading. It suggests that the affects of a mild or moderate brain injury will be mild or moderate when, in fact, they may be life-altering for the individual.

While severe brain injuries are quickly recognized — paralysis, loss of speech or senses, seizures, coma or “locked in syndrome” — subtle brain injuries may be overlooked by medical staff. Doctors may not see the patient every day and typically did not know the patient before they suffered the brain injury. They are unaware of changes in abilities, behavior, and personality.

Yet these changes can pose great difficulty for patients when they cannot do the things they once did with ease. It is no easier for family members who feel they have somehow lost the person they once knew.

If your loved one suffered a serious head injury in a workplace accident, a motor vehicle accident, or through a doctor's negligence, the team at Powers & Santola, LLP, can help you pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries.

Our experienced personal injury lawyers provide zealous representation for people who have suffered serious injuries in upstate New York. Contact us online or call 866.689.9692 to schedule a free initial consultation at our offices in Albany or Syracuse.

The Overlooked Brain Injury

Consider a person who has sustained multiple life-threatening injuries in a car crash. Emergency medical providers assess and address the patient’s "ABCs" — airway, breathing, and circulation — on the way to the hospital.

Upon arrival in the emergency room, the patient's injuries are prioritized. Trauma surgeons first repair damage to vital organs, stop bleeding and restore circulation. Obvious trauma to the head, such as a skull fracture, is a high priority, but subtle injuries to the brain are easily overlooked. The full scope of brain injuries may not be known for days or even weeks.

The Misleading Recovery

Recovering from a serious accident is a slow process. At first people are grateful to have survived the accident and feeling relief as basic functioning is restored. As families see the physical injuries resolved, they assume that everything is now all right, though it may not be.

When there are no outward signs of injury, people tend to forget that there was an accident. They want to put it all behind them. As a result, they tend to mislabel subtle brain injuries as emotional or behavioral problems, or laziness, before gradually becoming aware that it may be something more serious.

  • Family members may say they have to answer the same question repeatedly.
  • A spouse notices that their partner continues to stumble over words or calls objects by the wrong name.
  • A child "just doesn’t seem to be the same."

These are the effects of a brain injury and they should not be ignored.

At Powers & Santola, LLP, we take brain injuries seriously. We represent victims and their families in negotiations and in court. We work with the best available medical experts to develop a strong and effective case for court.

Contact Us

To learn more about how a personal injury attorney at Powers & Santola, LLP, can help you achieve financial recovery for a brain injury, contact us online or call toll-free at 866-689-9692 to schedule a free initial consultation.

"JUSTICE IN RED" Description: The shield of innocence, the guard of truth. Justice and equity portrayed, as they are throughout history, as innate attributes of the feminine nature.

Original painting by Trevor Goring in the private collection of Powers & Santola, LLP.

Contact Information

Albany Office
39 North Pearl Street
Albany, NY 12207-2785
Phone: 518.478.6616
Toll-Free: 866.689.9692
E-Mail Us | Directions

Syracuse Office
407 S. Warren Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Toll-Free: 866.689.9692
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