Practice Areas
- Medical Malpractice
- Car / Truck Accidents
- Birth Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Catastrophic Personal Injuries
News
- "Best Lawyers in America" recognizes all three Shevlin Smith attorneys
- Federal Court Strikes Down Dangerous Trucking Law
- Lives Saved in 2007 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws
- World Health Organization Issues a Checklist to Make Operations Safer
- Experts Worry About Rise in C-Section Births
- FDA Believes That Heparin Contamination Was Likely Intentional
- Safety Alert Issued for Heparin
- FDA Identifies Potential Problem Drugs
- Virginia Super Lawyers recognize Thomas G. Smith and Michael J. Shevlin
- Virginia Supreme Court Denies Charitable Immunity For Doctors
Library
Old Firm News
- Virginia's Largest Verdicts of 2006
- Virginia's Largest Verdicts of 2005
- Tom Smith Named Super Lawyer
- Shevlin Smith Moves Office
Medical Articles
Significant Court Decisions
- Virginia Supreme Court clarifies the foundational requirements for the admissibility of medical literature
- Virginia Supreme Court addresses damages issue in truck accident wrongful death case
- Massachusetts Supreme Court Holds That A Doctor's Responsibility Goes Beyond Patients
- Virginia Supreme Court reaffirms mother's right to recover for her own emotional distress suffered as a result of an in utero injury to her fetus
- Virginia Supreme Court agrees with trial court's decision to fine defense attorney who raised groundless legal defenses
Car / Truck Accidents
- Speeding Triples The Chances of an Auto Accident
- Large-Truck Crash Causation Study: An Initial Overview
Tort Reform News
- The Ten Worst Insurance Companies in America
- Financial Statements From 15 Largest Medical Malpractice Insurers Show Increase In Doctor's Insurance Premiums Not The Result Of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
- "To Err Is Human: Building A Safer Health System"
- Harvard School of Public Health study: "Claims, Errors, and Compensation Payments in Medical Malpractice Litigation"
- "The Fairness of Malpractice Settlements"
Brain Injuries
We like to think head injuries and traumatic brain injuries don’t happen very often. Unfortunately, such injuries are far more common than we realize: about 1.5 million cases yearly in the U.S. alone.
If you are reading this, chances are that you or someone you know has suffered brain trauma and need help. If you live in Northern Virginia or in Washington D.C., that help can be nearby. At Shevlin Smith law offices in Fairfax, Virginia, you will find attorneys who understand brain injuries, who understand the sophisticated medical issues relating to such injuries, and who understand the long and arduous path back to a normal or near-normal life. You will find lawyers who have decades of experience of handling claims that have allowed people with brain damage or trauma to get the compensation they deserve and, more importantly, to get the compensation that they NEED for appropriate care and treatment.
How does brain damage happen in the first place?
It is frequently caused by trauma. Sometimes that trauma is clearly visible, for example, when the skull has actually been damaged by fracture. Many times, however, the trauma is internal. For example, the brain can be injured when it violently collides against the skull. This can occur from shaken baby syndrome and from concussions sustained in automobile collisions or falls. In all of these types of cases, the injury to the brain causes swelling and/or bleeding within the skull. As a result, pressure within the skull increases and effectively squeezes shut the arteries in the brain, thereby preventing adequate blood flow to the brain.
In other types of cases, the brain can be injured in a less traumatic way. Again, the mechanism of injury is the same as with traumatic brain injuries – the blood flow to the brain is blocked and the brain does not receive its needed supply of oxygen. Examples include strokes where a clot forms inside an artery and blocks blood from getting past the clot and traveling to the brain; internal bleeding where a leak in a blood vessel prevents sufficient blood and oxygen from reaching the brain; cardiac arrest where the heart stops beating and, as a result, blood is no longer pumped to the brain; and overmedication, where the central nervous system doesn’t tell the heart to pump blood to the brain.
While most brain injuries are caused by accidents or physical violence, there are many that are caused by negligent medical care, that is, by medical malpractice. For example, if there is a delay in diagnosing a stroke, the clot that forms may grow big enough to totally block blood flow to a portion of your brain. In cases where anesthesia is used, if a patient is not carefully monitored, their breathing may become ineffective and the flow of oxygen to the brain severely diminished. In cases of child birth, the umbilical cord to the fetus can become pinched thereby diminishing blood flow and oxygen to the fetus.
The manifestations of brain injuries can be subtle, such as a change in personality or increased forgetfulness. In other cases, the manifestations may be profound, like coma. Regardless, treatment and rehabilitation are extremely costly. Consequently, cases involving a brain injury are often the most fiercely contested by insurance companies.
Therefore, it is extremely important to have an attorney with many years of experience, who really understands the subject and can build and argue a successful case. Such lawyers are rare, but you’ll find three of them in your own backyard: at Shevlin Smith in Fairfax, Virginia.
The attorneys at Shevlin Smith are familiar with the state-of-art testing that is being employed to diagnose brain injuries. Such testing can confirm the presence of a brain injury that is not otherwise objectively verifiable. They have relationships with professionals in the brain injury treatment field who can assist in rehabilation, care and treatment. A multi-disciplinary team of medical and rehabilitative specialists is required to tend to their physical and emotional needs.
In short, brain injuries compromise a person’s ability to work, play, and even function by themselves. Sometimes, the full repercussions are not even detectable until later. The result: huge costs to the patient, huge costs that the insurance companies would rather not pay.
Don’t let that intimidate you, and don’t wait too long either. Instead, find a lawyer with plenty of experience and a solid track record, a lawyer who, once he has decided to take on your case, will be on your side all the way. A lawyer like the ones you will find at Shevlin Smith in Fairfax, Virginia. So if you’re in the area, in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, the District of Columbia, Fredericksburg, Prince William County, Loudoun County, or Manassas, call us for a free consultation and find out if we can help you.
Case Results for Brain Injuries:
- $6 Million Settlement For Stroke Victim - $6,000,000.00
- $3.3 Million Verdict For Wrongful Death Of 3-Year Old At Inova Fairfax Hospital - $3,300,000.00
- Brain Injury Caused By Epidural During Cesarean Section Settled For $1.45 Million - $1,450,000.00
- $1.375 Million Settlement Due To Nursing Error - $1,375,000.00
Web Resources for Brain Injuries:
- Brain Injury Association of America
Description: Founded in 1980, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the leading national organization serving and representing individuals, families and professionals who are touched by a life-altering, often devastating, traumatic brain injury (TBI). Together with its network of more than 40 chartered state affiliates, as well as hundreds of local chapters and support groups across the country, the BIAA provides information, education and support to assist the 5.3 million Americans currently living with traumatic brain injury and their families.
- Harvard Medical School - Whole Brain Atlas
Description: This site is a collection of MR images of the brain. It shows images of the normal brain and the diseased brain including cerebrovascular disease, neoplastic disease, degenerative disease, and inflammatory/infectious disease. For the lay user, the neuroimaging primer explains some of the different tools used to collect these images. For the more sophisticated, the site provides tours that demonstrate and explain the progression of brain injury and disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, brain tumors, and herpes encephalitis.
- Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
Description: For each of the last three years, Kessler Institute has been named one of the nation's top 2 Rehabilitation Hospitals. It is recognized for its level of care for patients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. If you or a someone close to you has suffered a brain injury, this website will hopefully provide you with answers to some of the many questions you are facing.
- Northern Virginia Brain Injury Association
Description: The Northern Virginia Brain Injury Association (NVBIA) is a non-profit organization whose mission
is to improve the quality of life of brain injury survivors and to promote the prevention of brain injury. Its website is a terrific resource for information concerning brain injury, treatment and prevention.
Let Us Help You
Shevlin Smith
3975 University Drive, Suite 405
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: (703) 591-0067
Fax: (703) 591-1877
FAQs
General Questions
- What are the expenses for bringing a medical malpractice or personal injury case?
- What is the likelihood of my case settling without having to go to trial?
- What should I do if I believe that I have been injured due to medical malpractice or the negligence of another person?
- What fee does an attorney charge for representing a client in a medical malpractice or personal injury claim?
Car / Truck Accidents
I have been injured in a car or truck accident and I am now receiving calls or letters from the insurance company of the person who caused the accident. What should I do?
What information can I provide to an attorney to assist the attorney in the review process of my case?
Birth Injuries
- What if I suspect that my child’s injury was caused by medical negligence at birth?
- What are the main types of birth injury cases?
- How is negligence proved in cases of birth injuries?
Medical Malpractice
- How does one know if he or she is a victim of medical malpractice or negligence?
- What experience should I look for in a medical malpractice attorney?
- Is a misdiagnosis or the failure to make a diagnosis always medical malpractice?
- When does a health care provider's failure to treat an infection become medical malpractice?
- Will my health care providers tell me if a mistake has been made?
Brain Injuries
- What are the symptoms of a subtle or mild brain injury?
- How is a brain injury diagnosed?
- What is the frequency of traumatic brain injuries in the United States?
- What is the prognosis for a person who has suffered a traumatic brain injury?