Cupertino Coma Head Injury Lawyers
Van Der Walde & Associates is a Northern California brain injury law firm with dedicated and experienced head injury lawyers. We have represented the legal rights of hundreds of seriously injured clients. Our San Jose brain injury attorneys strive to provide each client with unparalleled legal advice and representation for their personal injury case. Van Der Walde & Associates has an outstanding track record of success and has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of injured clients. If you or a loved one has suffered a coma from a head injury as the result of a serious accident, please contact an experienced Northern California coma head injury attorney at Van Der Walde & Associates right away.
A coma is defined as a "sleep-like state typically caused by a serious injury from which the victim cannot be aroused." A coma is one of most difficult medical conditions associated with a brain injury. The brain operates at different levels of consciousness, with the highest being sharp, quick to respond and alert and the lowest being the last state before death, also referred to as a state of coma. Comas suffered as a result of a brain injury will generally occur abruptly and be followed by a gradual or progressive recovery process. Studies show that if a patient in a coma survives the first seven to ten days following the injury, long-term survival can often be expected. The level of recovery will often depend on the severity of the injury; however it is not uncommon for victims of brain injuries to remain in comas indefinitely.
"The Glascow Coma Scale" is frequently used in the medical profession to asses the level of the coma. Some of the criteria of the Glascow Coma Scale include the opening of eyes in response to stimuli, using spoken language, and motor reaction. These criteria are used to rate the patient's degree of impairment to the brain. The Glascow Coma Scale is a useful aid in determining the severity and length of the coma and the aftereffects, such as brain damage, that may result from the coma.
The Glascow Coma Scale is scored from 3 to 15 points. If a patient has a high number of points, he or she has a better probability of recovery. The following is a typical Glascow Coma Scale rating:
- Severe Head Injury - 8 points or less
- Moderate Head Injury - 9 to 12 points
- Mild Head Injury - 13 to 15 points
Costs associated with head injuries, brain injuries, and comas can be an enormous burden on the victim and his or her family members and loved ones. These costs may include hospital bills, surgeries, rehabilitation, in-home care, outpatient visits, and assistive devices to help the patient communicate or be mobile. If a coma patient does survive for a few weeks after the injury, there is a chance that he or she will remain in a vegetative state.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a head injury resulting in a coma in California, please contact a San Jose coma attorney at Van Der Walde & Associates to discuss your brain injury case.
