Michigan’s Hypoxic and Anoxic Brain Injury Lawyer

Sustaining a brain injury can change not only the victim’s life but also their family’s. A severe brain injury can lead to loss of consciousness, paralysis, and wrongful death. Some hypoxic and anoxic brain injury victims require ongoing medical treatment, which can be emotionally and financially draining for their families.

Our experienced Michigan brain injury attorneys provide clients with compassionate service and skilled legal representation that gets results. We have a track record of success in holding negligent parties liable and ensuring you get the maximum compensation you deserve.

Contact our law firm today for a complimentary case evaluation and discover how we can help you recover damages for your brain injury.

What is a Hypoxic or Anoxic Injury?

The brain uses approximately 20% of your body’s oxygen supply at rest. Anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries can occur when oxygen flow stops, causing brain damage. The more severe the disruption of oxygen flow in the brain, the more likely you will suffer lifelong disabilities or death.

A hypoxic brain injury occurs when there isn’t enough oxygen to the brain, causing the cells to die and the brain to become impaired. As a result of hypoxia, you can lose consciousness in less than a minute. After three minutes, you may suffer brain damage and become comatose.

When four minutes or longer pass without oxygen, the brain can suffer an anoxic injury. It can cause the brain cells to die and result in permanent brain damage. It can also prevent essential organs such as the heart, kidneys, and other tissues from functioning. The two terms are interchangeable, or they can be combined into the term known as hypoxic-anoxic brain injury (HAI).

Strokes and pulmonary conditions like cardiac arrest, heart failure, or cardiac arrhythmia can cause hypoicischemic injury. Anemic anoxia occurs when there is not enough blood in the body to support the oxygen needs of the brain, for example, conditions like sickle cell anemia or an iron deficiency.

Toxic anoxia occurs when poisons hinder the brain’s ability to receive oxygen from the blood cells, such as from a faulty stove or vehicle fumes. Anoxic anoxia occurs when the air lacks oxygen, leading to suffocation.

Causes of an HAI

HAI can be a consequence of many conditions that can include:

• Motor vehicle accidents resulting in traumatic brain injury (TBI) or severe blood loss
• Slip and fall accidents that cause TBI
• Being struck by a car or truck
• Carbon monoxide poisoning, such as from a defective heater or car exhaust
• Smoke inhalation
• Acts of violence such as blows to the head, neck, lungs, or strangulation
• Near drowning incidents, such as unsupervised children at a pool
• Medical malpractice occurs if providers fail to diagnose and treat a condition that causes hypoxia or anoxia
• Significant blood loss
• Asthma or pneumonia
• Choking

If someone else caused an injury that caused you or a loved one to suffer an HAI, the legal team at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. can help you hold them accountable. We can help you file a personal injury or wrongful death claim.

What are Hypoxic or Anoxic Birth Injuries?

Besides accidents and smoke inhalation, medical negligence during labor and delivery can cause the baby to suffer HAI. This injury usually occurs if the staff fails to monitor the mother and baby, delaying lifesaving treatment. Several things can go wrong during the birth process and lead to HAI.

Umbilical Cord Entanglement

The umbilical cord can wrap around the baby’s neck and cut off blood flow to the brain, blocking oxygen delivery to the baby.

Uterine Rupture

A uterine rupture can lead to a baby suffering HAI by causing the mother to lose so much blood that the umbilical cord cannot carry enough blood to the baby. The rupture can cause the placenta to detach from the uterine wall, preventing the umbilical cord from delivering blood.

Placental Previa

Placenta previa occurs when the placenta lies low in the uterus and blocks the cervix, preventing the baby’s delivery. This condition can resolve itself if the uterus and placenta change during pregnancy. However, if it persists, it can cause severe bleeding and prevent oxygen from reaching the baby.

Symptoms of Hypoxic and Anoxic Brain Injury

Unlike TBIs induced by physical trauma, hypoxic and anoxic brain injuries are caused by a lack of oxygen. The restricted flow of oxygen causes brain cells’ gradual impairment and death.

A person suffering from an anoxic or hypoxic brain injury can experience cognitive issues, mood swings, and short-term memory loss. It can also cause:

• Speech slurring
• Impairment in judgment
• Difficulty moving your arms and legs
• Confusion
• Headaches
• Inability to focus

Severe symptoms can appear after your brain doesn’t have oxygen for more than four minutes. They include:

• Increased confusion and drowsiness
• Seizures
• Hallucinations
• Sudden loss of consciousness

Severe brain damage can result in a persistent vegetative state or death. Your first action when you suspect HAI is to seek immediate medical attention. The sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of recovery. Medical researchers have found several therapies that help, including therapeutic hypothermia and specific medications.

Once you or your loved one have started treatment, contact a personal injury or medical malpractice attorney with Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. We can review your case to discover if someone caused the harm through negligence or misconduct.

Put Our Legal Experience to Work for You

You need the right lawyer by your side, especially in a brain injury case with hypoxia and anoxia. In these cases, our senior partner Eileen Kroll uses her medical experience as a registered nurse to review your case’s facts and evaluate your medical records. She can also use her resources to consult with medical witnesses to determine what happened that led to your injury.

Eileen’s recent settlements include $9 million for a brain-injured man whose treatment was delayed for 14 hours and $3.8 million for a brain-injured child during labor and delivery.

Eileen is also a member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and the Medical Negligence section. Eileen works tirelessly to represent clients in Michigan and on AAJ’s national lobbying days in Washington, D.C.

Her medical knowledge and legal experience enable her to understand how brain injuries can change the lives of victims and their families. She strives to help you achieve a better quality of life by helping you seek fair compensation for your recovery.

Taking legal action to protect your right to compensation is essential if you or someone you love sustains an anoxic or hypoxic brain injury due to the actions and negligence of another. Contact Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. for a free consultation to speak with an attorney to review your case.

Our contingency fee basis means we only get paid if we win your case, so there is no financial risk to you to get started. Call our law firm today at 1-866-MICH-LAW and schedule your no-obligation, free case evaluation.