 Brain injury death can lead to claims
The human brain is a complex and delicate organ upon which most bodily functions depend. As such, it is one of the worst places in the body to receive a traumatic injury, and such injuries to the brain can lead to death. If a loved one has suffered a catastrophic brain injury resulting in death, and this injury occurred through another person’s misconduct or negligence, consult a brain death lawyer to ensure you can claim compensation for this wrongful death. It is best to seek legal help to claim compensation as soon as possible after a wrongful death by brain injury. Each state has its own statute of limitations, indicating how long you have after such a brain death to file a claim. Once that time has passed, you no longer can make a claim.
Medical authorities define brain death as an irreversible cessation of all brain activities. This means that the brain not only is no longer alive, but cannot be brought back to life. Brain death can occur after a heart attack or stroke, but also from an impact or injury which prevents life-sustaining blood from flowing to the brain. This can occur after an impact, if the brain swells and presses against the skull. Without oxygenated blood, the brain’s cells die. This results in the brain and brain stem completely ceasing to function, causing “brain death.” Brain death is a separate state than “cardiac death,” which refers to a person’s heart and breathing coming to a stop. A cardiac death does not constitute complete death of the body, which occurs only after the brain and brain stem die. This occurs when the brain no longer receives oxygen from the bloodstream, or when the brain is injured in such a way as to cause brain death. Once a brain is dead, it cannot be repaired or revived, unlike other organs which can be brought back to life. It also means that a person is dead. That person may have other functioning organs, but if his or her brain is dead, this constitutes the death of that person.
A number of brain injuries can prove fatal, particularly when the head suffers a traumatic blow. This can lead to bleeding into the brain, to sustained periods without oxygen and to infections. Any human organ which is injured is prone to swelling. But most other organs have room in which to swell. The brain, which is confined within the skull, does not. If the brain suffers a traumatic injury which causes it to swell, that produces intense pressure on the brain, as it is confined inside the skull. Such pressure can prevent blood vessels from supplying life-giving oxygenated blood to the brain. Brain swelling also can place pressure on the brain stem, preventing it from its normal functions of controlling breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.
If a loved one has suffered a traumatic injury and wrongful death via brain death, a brain death lawyer with Jim S. Adler & Associates can assist you in making a claim for legal compensation. Your case evaluation is free, and your lawyer will work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no fees but only a percent of the award should your claim prevail. |
