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 Posted on October 25, 2012 in Brain Injuries

Have you suffered a traumatic brain injury in Virginia or D.C.? Have you been down the road to recovery only to discover that there are late-developing and long-lasting effects? The brain is complicated, so doctors continue to uncover new information about patients who have suffered from brain injuries. Most recently, doctors have found a correlation between a traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. You may be familiar with the seizure-causing disorder, but many are not aware that it is a known consequence of a traumatic brain injury.

Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) can follow any head trauma, including those that occur during car accidents. The more severe the brain injury, the greater the risk is for developing PTE. Those with the greatest risk include:

• A penetrating head wound (including those involving fragments that could be left behind)
• Depressed skull fractures
• Any injury that is located in the central region of the brain or the cerebral cortex

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 Posted on October 17, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

Not only are there significant safety concerns associated with drivers and passengers who do not wear seat belts while in the car, there are also financial repercussions for all of us. Under Virginia law, drivers and front seat passengers over 18 of must wear seat belts; all passengers under 18 years of age must wear seat belts regardless of where they're seated. While these laws are in place mainly for safety reasons, our Virginia car accident lawyers know the costly results that are shared by all drivers when the few don't buckle up.

Auto Accidents Can Be Financially Burdensome

According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles the financial repercussions include:

• Medical costs from traffic accidents are twice as expensive when injured drivers or passengers are not wearing seat belts.
• Higher premiums are shared amongst all drivers to cover crash-related expenses involving drivers and occupants that do not wear seat belts.

In Virginia, the failure to wear a seat belt is considered a "secondary" offense. This means that you could be ticketed for not wearing a seat belt if you are already being pulled over for another violation, such as speeding. In addition, if you have a passenger over the age of 18 in the front seat who is not wearing a seat belt, that person will receive a summons.

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 Posted on October 07, 2012 in Medical Malpractice

So you decided to go under the knife and get plastic surgery, you saved up your money and your decision has been made. You have read about cosmetic surgery nightmares, but you are not worried because you have done your research and you found a well-qualified surgeon to perform the cosmetic surgery in Virginia. Or so you thought....

Plastic Surgery Isn't Always Perfect

Plastic surgery does not always turn out as planned. If you underwent plastic surgery in Virginia or Washington, D.C. and mistakes were made, call a Virginia medical malpractice lawyer at Shevlin Smith to discuss your next steps. Our team of experienced lawyers will help you recover if your surgeon was negligent.

If you are a victim of bad plastic surgery, our medical malpractice lawyers will work with you as you take the following steps:

• Make an appointment with the surgeon to discuss your concerns.
• Get a second opinion if your surgeon is unwilling to rectify the situation; you may wish to speak with a specialist in corrective surgery.

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 Posted on October 04, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

It seems that we hear a story about someone dying in a DC motorcycle accident almost every day. If these vehicles are so dangerous, you might ask, why do people keep riding them?

The truth is, a motorcycle can be just as safe a mode of transportation as any other-until an accident occurs. Motorcycle riders are at increased risk of injury in a crash, since they are not protected by the steel of a car. However, these accidents are usually caused by the same factors that cause car crashes: weather, systems failures-and even the driver himself.

The leading causes of motorcycle accidents in Virginia are:

• Speed. This is the number one factor in motorcycle accidents where no other vehicle is involved. Bikers will often lose control of their cycles at increased speeds, and are more likely to veer off the road and into a stationary object.
• Driver inattention. Motorcyclists have a notorious reputation among car drivers, but the fact is the car driver is usually the one at fault-and he has a much better chance of walking away from an accident.

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 Posted on September 30, 2012 in Brain Injuries

The initial crisis is over. Your child has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and is home with you. You may worry about your child's future. What should you expect and how can you help your child recover?

What Your Child May Experience Following a Concussion

Traumatic brain injuries are unique. It is hard to predict how your child is going to react to the injury as it depends on the extent of the injury, the part of the brain that was hurt, and other factors. However, your child may experience:

• Denial
• Grief
• Fear
• Frustration

Alternatively, your child may show limited awareness of his or her brain injury or limitations.

Any of these things can be difficult not only for your child, but also for you as a parent. It may take a team approach for you to help your child through this difficult time. A team may include not only you and your child, but also:

• School teachers and administrators
• A psychological counselor

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 Posted on September 29, 2012 in Birth Injuries

Your pregnancy is progressing smoothly and you are getting excited to meet your new child. You can't wait to count those little fingers and toes and to bring your baby home to a newly decorated nursery. While you are planning for your child's arrival, you want to be optimistic. You want to think about the magical time with your newborn, but should you also be considering what might happen if your child suffers a birth injury?

Know the Signs of a Potential Birth Injury

As a parent, there is very little, if anything, that you can do to prevent a birth injury that is caused by medical negligence. Yet, it is important for you to be cautiously optimistic about the birth of a healthy baby and at the same time to be aware of the potential signs of a birth injury.

Your child may have suffered a birth injury and may require medical attention if he or she experiences:

• Arm or leg movements, or lack of movement, that are abnormal for newborns
• Excessive sleeping

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 Posted on August 24, 2012 in Catastrophic Injuries

Life can change in an instant due to a driver running a red light or making a negligent decision behind the wheel. Sadly, innocent drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or cyclists can suffer from a broken femur, shattered ribs, fractured pelvis, collapsed lung, paralysis, and even a traumatic brain injury. As a result of such serious injuries, victims are left with serious physical problems that can lead to self-care challenges and extensive medical treatment.

Sometimes multiple surgeries and long hospital stays are needed followed by continued treatment and recovery. For example, some patients reach the point in their recoveries to be discharged from the hospital, but they still need help walking and becoming stronger so they can once again take care of themselves. Consequently, they will need additional medical care-whether that be at home or at another medical facility-to deal with their physical problems.

While medical costs are expensive following accident-related injuries, it is important that injured victims know they should be compensated for the following:

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 Posted on August 22, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

When you're looking for legal representation, experience is everything. You should always make sure your attorney knows about varying types of injuries and different kinds of accident cases-and you should feel comfortable asking how many of those cases the attorney has actually won, not just represented.

Fairfax Attorneys With Experience

Our attorneys have gotten justice for several victims of Fairfax car accident lawsuits, including:

• Drowsy driving. Our 63 year-old client sustained injuries in a head-on collision in Fairfax County after a driver in the opposite lane fell asleep at the wheel. The drowsy driver crossed the center line and struck our client's car, causing severe fractures in both of her legs. We were able to obtain a $425,000 settlement for her future suffering and past medical expenses.
• Motorcycle crashes. Our 39-year-old client broke several bones and developed an infection after he was struck at an intersection while riding his motorcycle. We were able to secure $500,000 for our client, the highest amount of his insurance.

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 Posted on August 04, 2012 in Catastrophic Injuries

To determine the amount of your settlement in a Fairfax spinal cord injury lawsuit, your doctor will have to determine the extent of your injury. The best indicator of the severity of your injury is the location; the higher an injury occurs on the spinal cord, the more ill effects a victim is likely to suffer.

• Paraplegia. When a patient suffers a severe injury to the thoracic (lower) spine, the result is usually paraplegia, or complete paralysis of the legs. On one hand, the patient cannot walk and may have difficulty performing sexually-but on the other, he will be able to perform much of his own self-care and mobility if he can operate a wheelchair.
• Quadriplegia. Loss of function in both the arms and legs, also known as quadriplegia, is caused by a complete injury occurring between the C4 and C7 vertebrae. In addition to suffering the effects of paraplegia, these victims may also be prone to infection, lose sensation throughout their bodies, and are commonly unable to control bodily functions.

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 Posted on July 19, 2012 in Spinal Cord Injuries

The Fairfax spinal cord injury lawyers at Shevlin Smith know that you want the best representation possible after a serious accident. You have suffered a life-altering injury, will endure costly medical treatments, and may be unable to live or work in the same capacity as before.

Medical Malpractice Can Cause Lifelong Injury

This was recently the case for one of our clients, a 68-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of pain in her left side. She had recently been hospitalized to remove a kidney stone obstruction, and doctors attributed her pain to a possible kidney infection.

Our client received appalling treatment under the hospital's care. She was hospitalized for four days, during which she suffered an epidural abscess that went undiagnosed by her physicians. Over the course of these days, she became unable to walk, suffered weakness in her arms and legs, and eventually became numb from the waist down.

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