Kyle Athay suffered a spinal cord injury back on June 10, 1999 which caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down. According to KSL News, the injury was a result of a police chase by Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey who had at the time pursued a suspect at high speeds through at least three states. The chase, which had been going on for at least 63 miles ended when the suspect rear-ended Athay’s car in southeast Idaho. The force of the crash led to a spinal cord injury which caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down.

The case had quite a history and had been twice dismissed, but then brought back to life by Athay’s attorney, Craig Jorgensen of Pocatello, Idaho, who later got the case in front of a jury, who apportioned 70 percent of the fault on the fleeing suspect and 30 percent on Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey. Since the suspect is essentially “judgment proof,” Athay’s attorney will see 30 percent of the $3.7 million verdict from Rich County.

In Provo, Utah today, May 28, 2010, Gary Coleman was declared dead following a brain injury and hemorrhage he received two days earlier in his home. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Gary Coleman suffered a brain hemorrhage as a result of what sounds like a fall inside his home.

I send my condolences to Gary Coleman’s family. According to reports, Coleman had a pre-existing history of a rare kidney disease which doctors say caused his growth to be stunted. He had even received two kidney transplants by the age of 14. He continued to suffer the ill effects from dialysis treatment.

Of interest from someone who is a Utah accident attorney-lawyer, is the Utah pedestrian accident he was involved on September 6, 2008. In that case, Utahan Colt Rushton accused Coleman and his wife Shannon Price of trying to run him down with a car outside a bowling alley in Payson, Utah. Rushton filed his lawsuit in September of 2008 alleging that Coleman’s wife had grabbed Rushton’s cell phone after he tried to take a picture of Gary Coleman leaving the bowling alley.

Rushton also claimed that after he attempted to take pictures of Gary Coleman, that Coleman became agitated and demanded $20 for more pictures. According to the lawsuit, Coleman’s wife then took the cell phone away from Rushton after he tried to take another picture. Rushton also alleged in his suit that Gary Coleman purposely ran him over with his truck. The case was later settled on or around January 14, 2010.

Ron Kramer is a Utah brain injury attorney-lawyer who handles Utah accident cases throughout the state of Utah.

Traumatic brain injuries, according to Utah’s KSL News, is more of a common injury than we might think. The common mechanism is being too close to a single explosion or to a series of explosions that occur over time. Up to one fifth of veterans are said to suffer from brain injury related to their military service.

Some symptoms of traumatic brain injury, or TBI as it is called, are:

*Headaches
*Depression
*Cognitive function deficits
*Memory problems
*Sleep problems
*Balance problems

The Salt Lake City Utah George E. Wahlen VA Medical exists to help Veterans who have experience service-related injuries, including traumatic brain injuries. “I think depression was a big part of it trying to cope with the new way my brain works now.

The KSL story concludes by saying: “in the vast majority of cases, individuals who sustain a mild traumatic brain injury will completely recover in a matter of weeks to months.”

Based on my experience with those who have experienced brain injuries, I know that this is not accurate. While individuals do improve up to about 12-18 months following their brain injury, most who have experienced a serious brain injury will continue to have symptoms 18 months after their injury. I wish the majority of brain injury patients healed that quickly and permanently. But they don’t. That’s why I think it’s critical that the VA provide continued services for Vets who experience brain injuries during military service, and not just provide treatment or services for only a few months past their brain injury date.

For more, accurate information about the effects of brain injury, contact the Brain Injury Association of Utah. http://www.biau.org

Ron Kramer is a Utah brain injury attorney who assists brain injury victims who have been injured by another’s negligence or carelessness.

An annual event for Utah brain injury attorneys, the Utah Brain Injury conference will begin its second day on March 5, 2010. This seminar is taught by leading legal and medical professions and addresses all areas of brain injury litigation, including cutting-edge imaging techniques which help to objectify the sometimes murky picture of a brain injury. All proceeds earned from this event go to benefit the Utah Brain Injury Association (BIAU).

Often known as the “silent injury,” brain injury cases are often undervalued, and even unrecognized, by many attorneys. Without the proper workup, however, the brain injury victim can never hope to capture the real cost that the brain injury has inflicted upon them. Because in many cases the attorney has to front the cost for expert witnesses testing and evaluation, many attorneys do not become “invested” in this most serious Utah personal injury. This seminar is useful, even essential, in that it helps educate Utah personal injury attorneys as to the unique nature of these legal claims and just how they should be worked up.

A young pedestrian crossing the street with his mother in West Jordan, Utah at Grizzly Way was struck by a Nissan Altima driven by Cody Ray McCormick, age 24 last week. Just today, August 18, 2009, he was released from the hospital according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The 4-year old boy had been crossing the street with his mother and two other young ones in the stroller when he was hit. The mom and siblings were also injured in this Utah pedestrian accident. The driver was arrested after police suspected the driver was under the influence. He was arrested on suspicion of a 3rd-degree felony DUI and a misdemeanor for improper lane travel.

Best wishes to this young boy as he struggles to recover. According to reports, he received a fairly serious brain injury from what sounds like a totally preventable pedestrian accident. Utah brain injuries obviously come in different severity levels, but can have devastating effects if they are considered “traumatic.” Some seriously injured children need around-the-clock care for their profound brain injuries. Others need special schooling and assistance to deal with the deficiencies stemming from their injury. The parents may wish to get in touch with the Utah Brain Injury Association http://www.biau.org/ as a resource as they deal with the aftereffects of this crash.

A young pedestrian crossing the street with his mother in West Jordan, Utah at Grizzly Way was struck by a Nissan Altima driven by Cody Ray McCormick, age 24 last week. Just today, August 18, 2009, he was released from the hospital according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The 4-year old boy had been crossing the street with his mother and two other young ones in the stroller when he was hit. The mom and siblings were also injured in this Utah pedestrian accident. The driver was arrested after police suspected the driver was under the influence. He was arrested on suspicion of a 3rd-degree felony DUI and a misdemeanor for improper lane travel.

Best wishes to this young boy as he struggles to recover. According to reports, he received a fairly serious brain injury from what sounds like a totally preventable pedestrian accident. Utah brain injuries obviously come in different severity levels, but can have devastating effects if they are considered “traumatic.” Some seriously injured children need around-the-clock care for their profound brain injuries. Others need special schooling and assistance to deal with the deficiencies stemming from their injury. The parents may wish to get in touch with the Utah Brain Injury Association http://www.biau.org/ as a resource as they deal with the aftereffects of this crash.