When can I go back to work?

Posted on by Brian Jacobson Posted in Personal Injury, Brain InjuryTagged

When an injury puts you out of work, you lose your income and possibly benefits. While it can be tempting to go back to work as soon as possible, it might not be in your best interest. Sometimes if you have experienced an injury, an early return to work could make you worse. We do not encourage you to stay off work longer than necessary but you should determine the timing for your return to work in consultation with your doctor.

As experienced brain injury lawyers in Vancouver, we have seen many accident victims successfully return to work. Going back to work and being active can help you heal faster, and employers might offer you lightened duties until you fully recover. Your income and benefits return, and your morale can benefit from social connections with your co-workers. Make sure you tell your brain injury lawyer in Vancouver that you’re returning … Continue reading

Helmet Guide: Which Helmet for Which Activity?

Posted on by Brian Jacobson Posted in Brain Injury

Regardless of the age of the patient, brain injury is a common injury type seen in British Columbia hospitals. It is possible to suffer a brain injury in many different ways, from a motor vehicle accident to a sports accident to a bicycle accident – and a number of other incidents could result in this type of severe injury as well. Although you cannot prevent all injuries, you can take preventive measures to lower your chances of an accident that may result in brain injuries.

The following is a list of some common activities and appropriate protective head gear for each:

  • Bicycling, recreational roller skating, and recreational in-line skating: Standard bicycle helmet
  • BMX cycling: BMX-specific helmet
  • Downhill mountain biking: Downhill helmet
  • Competitive, aggressive, or trick skateboarding, roller skating, or in-line skating: Skateboard helmet
  • ATV, motocross, dirt bike, or mini-bike riding: Motorcycle helmet or motocross helmet
  • Go-karting or karting: Motorcycle helmet
… Continue reading

When Can You Drive Again After Brain Injury?

Posted on by David Goldberg Posted in Motor Vehicle Accident

“When can I start driving again?” is one of the questions patients with brain injuries often ask their doctors post-injury.  The answer, unfortunately, is not simple, as each patient is different and every case is unique.

A brain injury can affect your vision, your thinking and perception, your physical abilities and your behavior including emotional control and good driving habits.  All of these are essential for you to drive safely.

Many people and agencies, including your doctor and brain injury lawyer, can be involved in deciding whether or not you can drive again.

The Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles (OSMV) is ultimately responsible for making this decision if you are allowed to drive.

By law, if your doctor has concerns about your ability to drive, your doctor must report those concerns to the OSMV.  However, the OSMV can also receive information from other medical professionals, family members, health … Continue reading

Strategies to Assist Learning After Brain Injury

Posted on by Ben Tarnow Posted in Brain InjuryTagged

 

After a brain injury occurs, only a small portion of the treatment happens in the immediate post-accident moments. The bulk of treatment happens as you recover, which can be a gradual process. For many patients it is necessary to learn to do things all over again, especially in the case of traumatic brain injury. The strategies for learning after a brain injury will be determined by medical treatment professionals, and as a lawyer in Vancouver specializing in brain injury cases, we can help to make sure you have every opportunity for a full recovery.

A speech-language pathologist is often very helpful in helping patients suffering from brain injury to determine their specific issues with learning and communication. Once the learning problems have been isolated, the speech-language pathologist may work together with a physical therapist and/or other medical professionals to help design a treatment plan.

Patients often need to learn … Continue reading

What to do after a concussion

Posted on by David Goldberg Posted in Brain InjuryTagged

Rest.  If you have a brain injury like a concussion, you may be suffering from headaches, nausea, inability to concentrate and numerous other problems.  Your brain needs time to recover.  Rest means avoiding not only physical exertion but mental exertion as well.  Things like playing video games, watching TV or using a computer tax your brain and your brain needs rest.

People that are unknowledgeable about brain injuries may encourage you to tough it out and get on with it but the best thing you can do to recover is to rest.

We are brain injury lawyers, not doctors so you should always consult a doctor about your individual case.  Treatment for brain injuries is tailored to the individual, depending on the severity of the condition and whether or not there are other injuries.  Therefore, when you see a doctor, relate to the doctor all of your symptoms so the … Continue reading