Facts About Brain Injuries--Surprising Or Not?

According to information provided in a recent article by EverydayHealth.com, many Americans have suffered from a significant head injury in the past several years.  Here are some facts provided by EverydayHealth.com that may surprise you!

• In 2010, about 2 1/2 million Americans suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• TBIs are a contributing factor in about 1 in 3 injury-related deaths
• The populations that are at the most risk to suffer a TBI injury are children aged 0-4, teens aged 15-19, and adults over 65
• Children alone account for almost 500,000 ER visits every year for TBI injuries

For more information and facts related to traumatic brain injuries, please visit the original article here.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response to injury.  This is especially true if you suspect that you have sustained a significant head injury.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.   If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

An Editorial On PA's Distracted Driving Problem

Pennsylvania has had a driving and texting ban that has been in effect since 2011.  However, many drivers continue to text on the road, as well as engage in other forms of distracted driving.  What have Pennsylvania and other states done to address this issue?  Some of the things that police have done include sitting in unmarked SUVs and riding city buses to be able to look down on drivers.  You might want to read this editorial, written in Lancaster Online, to find out more.  

 Distracted driving is a major cause of motor vehicle accidents on the highway.  If you have been injured as the result of a distracted driver, it might be time to consult an attorney.  Tractor-trailer drivers are also cited with distracted driving, and can leave devastation in their wake after a highway accident.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  Please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com for more information.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

How much do you really know about traumatic brain injuries?  Although this injury has made many headlines in the news in the past few years, the cause, symptoms, and treatments remain a mystery to many.  Many websites have compiled information about traumatic brain injuries to help educate the general public.  Of these websites is the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC), which has myriad information relating to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and burn injuries. For those who may want to educate themselves more on the causes, signs, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, their website may be a good place to begin.  Click here for the direct link to their TBI page.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response to injury.  This is especially true if you suspect that you have sustained a significant head injury.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.   If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Brain Injuries Have A Long Recovery Time

Sometimes, people who are victims of a car crash often experience concussions or another form of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Although the signs associated with this injury may not immediately be present, the symptoms may manifest themselves days or weeks later.  Many common symptoms related to TBIs include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, changes in sleep patterns, and gaps in or loss of portions of memory.  Other more immediate symptoms may include vomiting and/or loss of vision.

Post-TBI, many patients find that the road to recovery is long, hard, and takes a variety of different professionals to manage the healing process.  Major news source NBC took a hard look at instances of TBIs in America and what the recovery process looks like for those victims.  The article can be found by clicking this link.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response and recovery after the accident.  If you suspect a TBI, immediately seek help from a qualified physician who can diagnose you and develop a comprehensive treatment plan.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.  This is especially true if your injuries cause you to miss extended periods of work or not be able to continue your line of work at all.  Other major expenses resulting from an accident may include medical bills.  If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Distracted Driving Assemblies in PA

Pennsylvania organizations are teaming up to talk about the serious nature of distracted driving to Pennsylvania teens.  According to TheAutoChannel, the Pennsylvania Assocation for Justice (PAJ), The Casey Feldman Foundation/EndDD,org, and 60forSafety.org are teaming up to discuss ways that teenage drivers can be safer on the road.  Specifically focusing on distracted driving, the program is part of a national movement spearheaded by trial lawyer called "End Distracted Driving".  This program uses a wide variety of material to demonstrate just how much an effect a small distraction can have on driving safety.  The program has already a meeting at a school in Exton, PA.

Many trial lawyers see many accidents involving distracted driving.  Since, by nature, these accidents are preventable, the fact that they occur at all is particularly aggravating. The "End Distracted Driving" program began a year ago and has already reached over 50,000 students nationwide. The creator of this program, Joel Feldman, is a partner at the Philly area law firm of Anapol Swartz.  The creation of this program is due in large part to the death of their daughter, who was a victim of a distracted driving accident in 2009.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is an Altoona based personal injury lawyer who takes claims for many clients who have been injured in automobile accidents.  He also takes cases for victims of distracted driving accidents in Altoona, Blair County, and the seven surrounding counties in Pennsylvania. For more information on his central Pennsylvania practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com

Car Accidents Over The Holiday Season

Be careful while out driving this holiday season in Pennsylvania.  The Pennsylvania State Police released their statistics from traffic accidents and injuries over the Thanksgiving holiday 11/21-11/25, and their statistics are sobering.  According to their reports, Pennsylvania experienced 13 total road-related fatalities, 349 were injured, and 1,124 car crashes occurred.  Five of the people killed were not wearing seatbelts. Alcohol played a factor in two of the deaths and 86 of the crashes.  Police also charged 509 people with DUIs, issued over 9,000 speeding tickets, cited over 1,100 people for not wearing seat belts, and issued citations to 124 people for not having children in proper safety seats.  In 2011, there were 10 fatalities, 326 injuries, and 1,007 total crashes during the same five-day period.
Car accidents are frightening, expensive, and time-consuming.  These accidents may also result in injuries that are extensive, painful, and long-lasting.  If you suffered an injury due to a car accident caused by another, it might be time to consult with an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania. For more information on his Altoona, PA law firm, please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at814-946-4100.