Gretna Personal Injury Law Blog

TBIs and PTSD: the perfect storm

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in brain injury on Friday, July 20, 2018.

At the Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC, in Louisiana, we help people who have sustained serious injuries as the result of someone’s negligence or misconduct. Sometimes our clients suffer from several injuries, which makes life especially difficult for them. If you suffer from both a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, you know exactly what we mean.

As BrainLine.com explains, a TBI and PTSD are two separate conditions. A TBI is a neurologic condition resulting from a trauma to your brain. PTSD, on the other hand, is a mental disorder resulting from the aftereffects of your experiencing a life-threatening trauma. But while these two are separate, many of the symptoms they produce overlap each other. Often you, your family members and your medical team cannot tell which of your symptoms come from which condition. In other words, TBI and PTSD feed on and reinforce each other. Consequently, each condition can and does affect the following:

Your memory
Your sleep patterns
Your emotions, particularly anger
Your depression and anxiety
Any substance abuse problem(s) you may develop

What does “attractive nuisance” mean to homeowners?

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in wrongful death on Saturday, July 14, 2018.

You may have a swimming pool in your yard, as well as a riding lawnmower that you don’t give a second thought to when you’re not using it. This is your personal property, and if anyone sneaks into your yard to swim or play with your power tools, they are trespassing. Why should it be your responsibility to make something on your property safe for people who shouldn’t be there? It is important for you and other Louisiana residents to understand how attractive nuisance laws exist to protect children.

As you know, children do not always follow the rules, even when it comes to trespassing on someone else’s property. They may be too young to fully understand that they shouldn’t climb on that fun-looking riding mower, or they might think their friends’ suggestion to take a dip in your pool while you’re out of town is a great idea. As you also realize, swimming pools and heavy equipment can be dangerous for children.

What damages can you recover in a wrongful death suit?

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in wrongful death on Sunday, July 8, 2018.

If your loved one dies as the result of someone’s negligence or misconduct in Louisiana, you can sue that person for your loved one’s wrongful death. As FindLaw explains, wrongful death lawsuits are civil suits that usually follow a person’s death after a motor vehicle accident or a medical malpractice situation. They can, however, also arise when a person dies because someone else allegedly murdered or deliberately injured him or her, whether or not a jury finds the alleged perpetrator guilty of the criminal charge.

If you prevail in your wrongful death suit, you can recover monetary damages such as the following:

Your loved one’s medical and funeral expenses
Your loved one’s pain and suffering from the time of his or her injuries to the time of his or her death
Your loss of your loved one’s support
Your loss of your loved one’s services and guidance
Your loss of your loved one’s inheritance
Interest on the about amounts from the date of your loved one’s death

Navigating a medical malpractice lawsuit needs special skills

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC on Sunday, July 1, 2018.

Like most other people in Louisiana, you most likely trust that your doctor will provide treatment that will restore your health. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to medical care. Doctors, nurses and other caregivers are only human, and they can make mistakes. However, if negligence led to a mistake, you might have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Health care providers must provide care of a specific standard, and they are not always liable for injuries their patients suffer during treatment. You can only hold a doctor responsible for damage done to your health if he or she deviated from the standard of care expected, based on the care any competent physician in the same situation would provide.

What are the most common types of motorcycle injuries?

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in motorcycle accidents on Friday, June 29, 2018.

Easy riding. The open road. Motorcycles have a mystique all their own. But whether you are an everyday rider, a weekend adventurer or take only an occasional ride on Louisiana’s roads and highways, you need to ride vigilantly, defensively and always wearing your protective gear.

It may surprise you to know that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it takes more skill to operate a motorcycle than to operate a car or other passenger vehicle. You have an 80 percent risk of injury or death should you crash. Live Strong reports that although your helmet can reduce your death risk by upwards of 35 percent, you still risk serious injuries, the most common of which are the following:

Head injuries
Bone fractures
Road rash

Returning to work with a brain injury

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in brain injury on Sunday, June 24, 2018.

While some people who suffer from a brain injury will never be able to return to their former occupations, a number of people in Louisiana and around the United States will be able to go back to work following a recovery period. Going back to work after suffering brain trauma can be difficult. Not only is it possible that the worker’s brain has changed in its ability to reason, plan, organize and function, but their personality and mood may have changed as well. Depending on its severity and the area of the brain that was affected, brain trauma can affect a wide-range of physical and psychological abilities.

A study conducted by Whiteneck and colleagues found that after one year after a brain injury occurred, 50 percent of brain trauma patients failed to return to work. Researchers found that people who have recovered from brain trauma may have trouble performing certain duties at work, such as organizing tasks, concentrating, remembering, problem-solving, listening to others, meeting deadlines and even experience visual and auditory deficiencies. People may also have problems involving consistent fatigue, transportation challenges, emotional issues and becoming dependent on others to complete their daily activities.

Are hands-free cellphones safe for drivers?

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in car accidents on Sunday, June 17, 2018.

As a Louisiana motorist, you may be guilty of driving while talking or texting on a hand-held cellphone. This dangerous task has killed and seriously injured many people across the nation. As a result, some states prohibit drivers from using hand-held cellphones while behind the wheel. Hands-free cellphones are not banned, however, which leads people to believe they are safe to use while driving. Studies show that they are not safe, and are in fact almost as dangerous as hand-held cellphones.

Researchers looked at the amount of cognitive distraction different tasks caused motorists in an attempt to measure which activities were most distracting, in a study published by AAA. Drivers were asked to complete several tasks, including talking on a hand-held cellphone, using a hands-free cellphone, talking to a passenger in the vehicle, listening to the radio, composing an email using voice-activated technology and listening to an audio book. Once drivers’ response time, heart rate and brain activity results were calculated, researchers found that talking on a hands-free device is only slightly less distracting that using a hand-held device.

Understanding oil rig blowouts

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, June 7, 2018.

At the Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC, in Louisiana, we understand the dangers you face every day as an oil rig worker. Oil rigs are dangerous because of the very nature of the work they perform. If and when an accident occurs, the results can be catastrophic for you and your co-workers. Petro-Online explains that while oil rigs do not explode nearly as often as they did in the early days of oil exploration, oil rig blowouts still happen all too frequently.

Millions of years ago, the thick black liquid that is now oil started out as plants and animals. When they died, sediments slowly formed over them. As more and more sediment formed, it became rock. The rock grew heavier and heavier, and the enormous pressure of its weight squeezed all the liquid out of the dead plants and animals underneath, ultimately turning these carbon-based organic substances into oil. Blowouts occur because today’s oil reservoirs remain underneath highly pressurized rock formations. Oil drillers attempt to counterbalance and counteract this pressure by packing mud around the drill and wellbore. Nevertheless, water, gas or oil occasionally infiltrates one or the other. When this happens, it causes the equipment to “kick.” That is the signal to close the well immediately and fix the equipment. Otherwise the crude oil begins to uncontrollably gush out of the well, causing a blowout. If one tiny spark of fire, such as from a cigarette, touches the oil, the entire rig could explode.

Are you suffering delayed symptoms after a vehicle accident?

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC on Monday, June 4, 2018.

Vehicle accidents in Louisiana are typically dreadful experiences, and the emotional and mental trauma might disguise physical damage that is not obvious. Sometimes accident victims who have no apparent broken bones or blood gushing from an open wound decline a trip to the hospital. However, this can be a mistake because many crash injuries have delayed symptoms that might only become evident in the days or weeks after the accident.

Injuries could cause damage to your internal organs, muscles and ligaments, the spinal column, and other parts of your body, and by the time it becomes evident, damage could be severe. For that reason, a thorough medical examination after any automobile accident is essential.

What are the biggest dangers to motorcyclists?

On behalf of Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC posted in motorcycle accidents on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

As a motorcyclist in Louisiana, you understand the dangers of sharing the road with larger vehicles. However, despite your safety precautions, it's still possible for you to end up getting involved in a crash. At the Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC, we work with you to help determine where the fault lies and get you the financial compensation that you deserve.

Driver negligence actually plays a large role in many different types of motorcycle crashes. Because you're on a smaller vehicle, it's much harder for drivers to spot you. This can happen even if you're driving as safely as possible by avoiding blind spots, wearing reflective gear, and avoiding sudden merges or turns. It's possible that if a car claimed that they hit you because you weren't visible, the driver did not check well enough before making their own move.