San Jose California Personal Injury Legal Blog

Many people in California have likely heard reports about incidents in which a person experiences trauma to their head. Some of these events can result in what is called a traumatic brain injury. As explained by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, a TBI is a special type of injury that is marked by a disruption in the brain's ability to function normally. 

A traumatic brain injury might be temporary or short-term or it may end up being severe. In the case of a severe TBI, a person often ends up with lifelong challenges or limitations due to the injury. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most mild TBIs are concussions that are characterized by a temporary loss of consciousness or altered mental state but that do not result in the presence of any negative, long-term symptoms.

When you receive the call that your loved one has been involved in a serious accident that has resulted in a catastrophic brain injury, you may immediately think the worst. It will undoubtedly take time for your family member to recover from his or her injury and a full recovery may be impossible depending on the severity of the accident. At Shea & Shea, we have helped many victims of traumatic brain injuries in California.

One of the areas of function that may have been readily affected by your loved one's accident and subsequent injury is his or her ability to communicate. According to brainline.org, you may notice several changes to the level of effectiveness with which your loved one is able to communicate including the following:

• Trouble figuring out how to begin or carry on a conversation. 
• Inability to understand what is being said in a conversation including the ability to follow along.
• Slurring, getting words mixed up or speaking too quickly and loudly. 
• Mix-ups with which words to use to describe what it is that they want to say.

People in California who have a family member that has been involved in an accident in which they experienced a traumatic brain injury will need and want to learn about these very special types of injury and the potential recovery process. Every brain injury is unique which can make it difficult to determine a clear prognosis but there are ways that people can glean some insights into the potential future lives of their loved ones. 

As explained by Brainline, a person with a brain injury may end up with challenges in many areas of their life. They may experience both mental and physical disabilities that can last a lifetime. Some impairments may improve over time while others may not. Examples of potential lifelong challenges for people with brain injuries include walking, communicating, thinking, remembering details, paralysis and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationship.

You know how tiring a long drive can be. Sometimes, it may be easier to simply buy a bus ticket in San Jose and leave the driving to someone else. Yet what is to say that the bus driver will not also become fatigued during your journey? It is well-known that long-haul truckers transporting freight are to follow strict hours of service regulations. Many come to us here at Shea & Shea - a Professional Law Corporation questioning whether the same standards are assigned to bus drivers. 

The answer to that question is yes...and no. The person driving your bus is not expected to adhere to the same working standard as a truck driver. That said, there are hours of service guidelines in place for drivers who transport passengers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, these are: 

• Bus drivers may only drive a maximum of 10 hours after having taken eight consecutive hours off duty
• A bus driver's 10 driving hours must be completed with a 15-hour time period, after which they are required to take eight consecutive hours off
• A bus driver can only drive between 60-70 hours within seven to eight consecutive days