Diffuse Axonal Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries account for over 2.4 million hospital stays, emergency room visits, and fatalities nationwide each year. Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injuries, but another, permanent injury can also be sustained. Diffuse axonal injuries are the underlying cause of almost 50 percent of TBI patients needing hospitalization. These injuries result due to sudden changes in the velocity of a victim’s head, such as what happens in many car accidents. Severe diffuse axonal injuries most often result in a victim remaining unconscious. People who do wake face significant impairments, requiring long-term care and medical treatment. The Miami brain injurys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon help victims and families dealing with diffuse axonal injuries due to another party’s negligence. We can guide you toward receiving the compensation necessary to cope with the aftereffects of the injuries.

If you or someone you love has suffered injuries as a result of a motor vehicle collision or another cause, we can assist you in evaluating what your legal options may be. Our attorneys offer knowledgeable and compassionate representation to clients throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, including in Miami, and West Palm Beach, as well as elsewhere in South Florida. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about your legal rights.

A diffuse axonal injury (DAI) results when lesions form in a victim’s brain’s white matter over a widespread area of the brain. The severity of these types of injuries can be defined as mild, moderate, or severe. The mildest form of DAI is a concussion. However, over 90 percent of patients who suffer severe DAI remain in comas or persistent vegetative states. DAI occurs as a result of traumatic shearing forces that occur when the head is exposed to rapid acceleration or deceleration. The most common cause of DAI is car accidents, when a vehicle’s occupants may be thrown sideways or forward, causing their heads to collide with windshields, dashboards, or other objects inside or outside the vehicle.

DAI may affect virtually every higher brain function, resulting in a wide range of deficits in cognitive abilities. Victims suffering from DAI may have issues with their thought process, reasoning skills, problem solving, and information processing. Memory loss is also common, which can present in the form of the loss of specific memories or an inability to form and store new memories. Because of the significant impact that these injuries have on victims, legal action is often necessary to receive the financial assistance necessary for long-term rehabilitation or care.

When a victim’s DAI or another closed head injury is caused by another person’s negligence, the victim may be entitled to damages in a personal injury lawsuit. Negligence requires a showing that the defendant breached their duty to act as a reasonable person would given the circumstances and that the breach proximately caused the victim’s DAI, as well as resulting in damages. In a car accident case, a victim may show negligence by offering proof that another driver was speeding excessively, distracted by their phone, or otherwise acting carelessly during the events leading to a collision. Determining the amount of damages that a DAI victim is entitled to receive may require establishing a life care plan to assess what will be necessary to protect their future. These plans are based on a victim’s estimated medical, rehabilitative, social, psychological, and educational needs.

If you or a loved one has sustained a DAI due to the carelessness of someone else, the Miami attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help pursue proper legal action against those responsible for your harm. Call 877.499.4878 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to find out more about how we can help.