SPECIALIZING IN HOUSTON TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CASES
Searching for an experienced Houston brain injury attorney? Voted TOP 100 Texas trial lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers in 2011 Hugh Howerton specialized in traumatic brain injury cases.
Houston personal injury attorney Hugh Howerton is a Board Certified, AV rated attorney with 24 years worth of experience.
Hugh specializes in head injury cases resulting from car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents and falls.
WHAT IS A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY?
Individuals who suffer Traumatic Brain Injury ("TBI") are often confronted with confusing lifestyle changes not easily understood by the victim or the victim's family. Memory loss often results from traumatic brain injury, as well as problems with the ability to focus and concentrate, and complete tasks at work. Often times dramatic mood swings take place. Family members often observe that a TBI victim has become "a different person."
The more serious and obvious injury is when the skull is penetrated and there is bleeding on the brain. Coma may result from this type of serious injury. However serious damage can happen even though there is no "bleeding"
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN?
In a car accident, for example, a rear-end collission can cause the brain to swing twist and strike the hard part of the skull. This is called a Diffuse Axonal Injury. After a closed head injury, the rotation and disruption of the brain's long connecting nerve fibers can be microscopic and difficult to measure. A person can suffer a brain injury and their MRI or CT scan can be normal because an MRI is not sensitive enough to pick up the microscopic changes in the brain. It is not necessary to have been "knocked out" to suffer a head injury.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A BRAIN INJURY?
Symptoms can include coma, bleeding on the brain, memory loss, lack of focus and concentration, word finding problems, mood swings, personality changes, inability to make decisions, lack of coordination, and problems walking.
Other symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can include headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns.
A person may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, slurred speech, weakness in their arms and legs, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, inability to awaken from sleep, loss of coordination or balance, restlessness and agitation.
Young children may have symptoms such as persistent crying, inability to be consoled, and/or refusal to nurse or eat.
If you see any of these signs in your loved one who has been involved in a vehicle accident or fall seek immediate medical attention as soon as possible.
HOW TO DETERMINE A BRAIN INJURY
In penetrating injuries that cause bleeding of the brain CT scans and MRI can usually detect a brain injury.
For closed head injuries with no "brain bleed" one of the best diagnostic tools to determine a brain injury is to have a battery of neuropsychological tests run. These tests are designed to help isolate the area of the brain affected and can pick up changes in memory and executive functioning. This testing is performed by a neuropsychologist.
The newest technology is a medical device known as the Biograph mMR and it is a whole body simultaneous positron emission topography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The Biograph mMR is a scanner that combines the two most powerful imaging tools. The MRI can point to abnormalities in the body and the PET can tell doctors the metabolic activity of the abnormality.
FOR A FREE CASE ANALYSIS BY A HOUSTON BRAIN INJURY ATTORNEY CALL 713.984.9848 OR SEND HUGH AN E-MAIL
Law Offices of Hugh Howerton
13030 Rummel Creek
Houston, Texas 77079
713.984.9848 (Local)
877.984.9848 (Toll Free)
713.984.8894 Fax
hjhowerton@comcast.net
Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Serving Texas, Houston, Brownsville ,Beaumont, Galveston, Conroe, Sugar Land, Pearland, Angleton, Austin, Friendswood, Midland, Lubbock, Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio, Laredo, El Paso, McAllen, Ft. Worth, Corpus Christi,
VOTED TOP 100 TEXAS TRIAL LAWYERS HUGH HOWERTON SPECIALIZES IN TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CASES
