Brain Injury Lawyer - New York

Scheduled Presentation at 8th World Conference on Brain Injury

I am honored to have been invited to submit a poster presentation at the International Brain Injury Association World Congress on Brain Injury to be held in Washington DC from March 10-March 14, 2010 in Washington D.C.

The topic of my presentation is “Challenges in the field of neurolaw in the 21st century”. I will be covering issues pertaining to judicial scrutiny of expert testimony, admissibility of controversial testing in the field of neuropsychology including the fake bad scale and malingering tests; use of new imaging techniques such as PET scans, functional MRI studies and diffusion tensor MRI studies; and the use of third party observers in insurance company and defense medical examinations.
 
The IBIA World Congress is the largest gathering of international professionals working in the field of brain injury. Delegates are comprised of physicians, psychologists and neuropsychologists, therapists, social workers, nurses, case managers, legal professionals, advocates and all others working in the field of brain injury.

You can obtain more information on the international brain injury congress program going to: Eighth World Congress on Brain Injury.

NFL Helmet study embroiled in controversy

The NFL research study on football helmets and their role in preventing brain trauma is embroiled in considerable controversy.

According to an ESPN on line story,  the NFL is preparing to deliver results of its research on football helmets next month, but some observers are raising questions about who has been running the league's testing program, the type of tests it is using and the validity of its results.

Some independent experts and helmet makers believe the process is misleading and even potentially dangerous -- concerns that have prompted one manufacturer to withdraw from the ongoing program.

Reports are that long criticized NFL consultants who have resigned from the league’s concussion committee are in charge of the testing research. According to one critic, former NFL player Brent Boyd who has been one of the leading voices for reform of the NFL concussion disability plan,   "It's like putting Richard Nixon in charge of the Watergate investigation," 

Another critic, prominent sports neurosurgeon, Robert Cantu says, "One problem is the people doing the testing are not at arm's length from the league," "It's also just not realistic to study concussions by looking at a small group where players hit other players like missiles, which is what the NFL is doing.

 Read the full story: NFL's helmet testing scrutinized.

Brain Injury Survivors Guide

I recently received in the mail a copy of a new book written by Garry Prowe, the husband of Jessica,  a brain injury survivor who was involved in a horrific automobile accident.  The book is entitled, Successfully Surviving a Brain Injury-A Family Guidebook.

Following  Jessica's injury, Garry accumulated a ton of information on how to handle the multiple aspects of brain injury and put together a very nice guide for family members based upon his experiences.

The book has good information and is very easy to read.  You can get more information from visiting the brain injury success web site. 

Delay in brain surgery leaves 22 year old girl in vegetative state

News reports from California on a jury award of $12 million on Thursday to a Southern California woman who was left in a vegetative state after a hospital delayed proper neurosurgical care for her brain injury. 

According to the reports, this 22 year old individual had been shot in the head by an air gun and was rushed to the hospital fully conscious where she was able to walk into the emergency room. Unfortunately, the hospital either delayed performing surgery or failed to timely transfer her to a hospital capable of performing neurosurgery resulting in her being left in the persistent vegetative state.

The neurosurgeon who finally removed the bullet from her brain came to court and testified that the end result would have been different had he been called upon earlier to perform the neurosurgical procedure.

The continued bleeding and pressure on her brain and the delay in reducing this pressure caused permanent brain damage and she now requires 24-hour care.

If your family member has been a victim of medical malpractice, please visit the home page of the brain injury law firm of De Caro & Kaplen, LLP  for more information on how we can assist you.

New guidelines proposed to determine when children with brain injuries require CT scans

New guidelines have been proposed to provide guidance to physicians in determining when children who have been subjected to head trauma require a CT scan.

The guidelines -- dubbed the CATCH rules (Canadian Assessment of Tomography for Childhood Injury) – look for seven key signs that a head injury may be serious. They include:

• an open or depressed skull fracture
• a headache that worsens over time
• disorientation that lasts longer than two hours
• a dangerous cause of injury, such as a car crash
• a large, spongy bump on the scalp

These new guidelines are published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Submit a Video to 2010 Neuo Film Festival

People with compelling stories to share about living with a brain disorder or neurologic condition are invited to submit a short video to the 2010 Neuro Film Festival, an American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Foundation event that aims to raise awareness about brain disorders and the need to support research into preventions, treatments, and cures. For a complete list of contest rules and to enter your film, visit the 2010 Neuro Film Festival page.

The deadline for submission is February 16, 2010.

Brain Injuries and Addiction Disorders

The Brain Injury Association of New York State has announced a new program entitled "The Hidden-Problem: Brain Injury and Addiction to be held on March 16 2010 at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY.  The program will run from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM and CASAC credits are available to attendees.

The program is co-sponsored by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

You can obtain more information at the Brain Injury Association of New York State web site. 

Albany, New York Brain Injury Program to Explore Return to Work Issues

The Brain Injury Association of New York State is holding an information and discussion session exploring return to work issues following a brain injury on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Sanford Town Library in Colonie, New York. 

Among the topics scheduled to be discussed are: How to know when you are ready to return to work, understanding what a potential employer can and cannot ask you during an interview, explaining gaps in your work history and where to obtain further resources.

You can obtain further information and register to attend this program by contacting Kristin Weller at the Brain Injury Association of New York State.

Concussions have been ignored for years-now is the time to take them seriously

A fascinating OP ED in the New York Times asks the important question, why are we now for the first time taking concussions seriously?

The OP ED by Deborah Blum reveals the following warning in October of 1928 in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

“There is a very definite brain injury due to single or repeated blows on the head or jaw which cause multiple concussion hemorrhages. ... The condition can no longer be ignored by the medical profession or the public.”

Thankfully,  after 82 years of neglect, concussions are now being taken seriously.

Read this important discussion about concussions: Will science take the field?

Living with a brain injury-Long Island Brain Injury Program

The Brain Injury Association of New York State in conjunction with North Shore University Hospital and the brain injury rehabilitation program, Transitions of Long Island is sponsoring a program on Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 9 AM to 3:30 PM at Rust Auditorium, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York to explore the life long issues of living with a traumatic brain injury.

Among the scheduled topics are: Assessing Long Term Outcomes; Occupational and Speech/Language Therapies to Address Attention and Memory Challenges; Return to Work Issues; Rehabilitation for Dizziness; Use of Art Therapy and Caregiver Discussions.

You can get further information and register on line.