Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP
Treating California’s Injured With Dignity And Respect

Temporal Lobe Injury

San Francisco Temporal Lobe Injury Lawyers

Brain injuries, and the manner in which they affect victims, can vary significantly. The San Francisco brain injury attorneys at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP, work closely with clients to ensure each receives an accurate diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment for his/her injuries. Our experience handling such cases, and our access to medical and investigative experts, has enabled us to build a track record of successful results for our clients. To learn more, contact a personal injury lawyer at our law firm to schedule a free initial consultation.

The temporal lobe is located bilaterally behind the frontal lobe of the brain, above the ears.  The functions of the temporal lobe include hearing, memory and speech.  Due to their location, the temporal lobes do not get injured as often as other parts of the brain.

Etiology of Temporal Lobe Injuries

The most common cause of temporal lobe lesions is stroke.  Space occupying lesions, i.e., tumors, also can damage the temporal lobe.  The third most common cause of temporal lobe injuries is from trauma, which often includes contrecoup injuries (trauma or impact occurring to the opposite side of the area injured).

Presentation of Temporal Lobe Injuries

Temporal lobe damage can cause eight principal symptoms:

  • Disruption of auditory sensation and perception
  • Disturbance of selective attention of auditory and visual input
  • Disorders of visual perception
  • Impaired organization and categorization of verbal material
  • Disturbance of language comprehension
  • Impaired long-term memory
  • Altered personality and affective behavior
  • Altered sexual behavior

Additional Manifestations of Temporal Lobe Injuries

Temporal lobe injuries also can cause:

  • Difficulty recognizing familiar faces (Prosopagnosia) (right sided injury)
  • Language disturbances (Aphasias)
  • Difficulty understanding spoken works (Wernicke’s Aphasia)
  • Impaired memory for verbal material (left sided injury)
  • Difficulty placing or recognizing words
  • Hearing deficits
  • Short term memory loss
  • Decreased musical abilities (right sided injury)
  • Impaired drawing ability (right sided injury)
  • Inability to categorize objects (Categorization)
  • Persistent talking (right sided injury)
  • Increased aggressive behavior
  • Hyperirritability and increased anger

Tests for temporal lobe function include Rey-Complex Figure (visual memory) and Wechsler Memory Scale (verbal memory).

The attorneys at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP are devoted to helping those who have suffered a brain injury due to someone’s negligence recover full and fair compensation.  We build your traumatic brain injury case by aggressively investigating and prosecuting our cases, quickly assembling a team of knowledgeable expert witnesses and medical specialists to evaluate, provide medical care, and fully explain the injury and your future needs.  Then, we present your case using cutting-edge, multimedia technology to clearly and thoroughly demonstrate the injury.

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For more information or to schedule an appointment with an experienced brain injury lawyer, please contact us.