Brain Injuries | Johnson Vorhees Martucci | Joplin & Springfield Missouri

Birth Injuries

Pitocin: The Synthetic Hormone Linked to Birth Injuries

Pitocin is a synthetic version of the natural occurring hormone, oxytocin. The female body naturally produces its own oxytocin in the pituitary gland, which causes uterine contractions. When labor starts, oxytocin continues to be released by the pituitary gland to drive the labor pattern. If the body makes its own oxytocin, why would synthetic Pitocin need to be administered? Synthetic Pitocin is administered for a couple of different

Birth Injuries

JUSTICE FOR BRODY KENDRICK AND THE PEOPLE OF SPRINGFIELD

Recent $34M Verdict Is One of the Largest Medical Malpractice Verdicts in Missouri In 2014, Katie Chittenden was in labor at CoxHealth Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, joyfully anticipating the birth of her child, Brody Kendrick. During labor, the staff at CoxHealth gave Katie increasing doses of the drug Pitocin, causing her contractions to become so frequent and severe that baby Brody was deprived of oxygen in the womb. Brody’s lack

Behind the Scenes

Client Story: Brain Trauma & Medical Negligence

As injury lawyers, we see firsthand the serious and traumatic injuries that our clients have suffered. When people ask us why we became lawyers, most already assume it’s for our own financial benefit. While there are lawyers out there who view clients as paychecks, we see them as individuals going through the worst times of their lives. We became lawyers to make a difference in the lives of those who

Brain Injuries

High costs of brain injury can sink accident victims, P.2

In our last post, we spoke briefly about the high costs of brain injury for accident victims and their families. As we pointed out, it is important for accident victims to work with an experienced attorney for help and guidance in building a strong damages case. Building a strong case for damages means not only gathering detailed evidence regarding the existing costs resulting from the accident, but also the costs

Brain Injuries

Profits Ahead of People

That’s where insurance company priorities lie. They are in the business of putting profits ahead of people. This is never more obvious than when a person is in a Jasper County car accident and sustains a traumatic brain injury that can require surgery, long-term treatment and rehabilitative therapies. That is precisely when an insurance company will try to wriggle out of its responsibility: when a seriously injured person needs medical

Brain Injuries

Head Injuries Change as Children Grow

As Joplin parents know, growing children are always in search of better ways to move. They start out crawling, but are soon walking, then running and eventually driving. Each method is riskier than the one that preceded it in the child’s evolution. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the causes of head injuries change as children grow, beginning with infants and toddlers hurt

Brain Injuries

7-Year-Old Traumatic Brain Injury Victim Sees Dream Come True

The dreams a 7-year-old girl has are often very different from the ones her parents will have for her. In the case of one little girl, she dreamed of a little backyard playhouse all her own. Her family had even bigger dreams for the young victim of a traumatic brain injury: that she would one day see and walk again. The girl was recently thrilled by her discovery in the

Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injury turns to triumph

Last year’s Missouri Tigers football team enjoyed a remarkable comeback season. But the team’s resurgence pales in comparison to the rebound being made by one of its members from a traumatic brain injury. Just 10 months ago, he was a passenger in a car driven by a university track and field athlete. Along for the ride was another football player. Life changed dramatically when their vehicle was in a violent

Brain Injuries

Missouri child\’s brain injuries result in $5 million settlement

A Missouri mom and her three young children were taking a Saturday drive to the library when tragedy struck. As the woman slowed her car to a near stop to turn left into the library parking lot, it was slammed into at 60 mph by a pick-up truck. The violent collision left the woman’s child, just a year and a half old at the time, with traumatic brain injuries. His

Brain Injuries

Study: brain trauma increases risks of PTSD

Many people go through life thinking they and their loved ones will be spared injuries or illnesses that strike down others. Unfortunately, life is rarely that simple or easy. As many Joplin families know, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can happen in the blink of an eye in car accidents, falls, sports mishaps and other sudden, unexpected events. Fortunately, researchers continue to look for ways to help those with TBI recover

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