Brain Injuries: A Multidisciplinary, Illustrated Guide

Description

Brain Injuries: A Multidisciplinary, Illustrated Guide, by board-certified neurologist Dr. Galina Nikolskaya and trial lawyer Nicholas Rowley, provides a comprehensive masterclass on traumatic brain injuries.

In an illustrated question-and-answer format modeled after how Rowley questions his experts during direct examination, Nikolskaya and Rowley cover everything from the basics of brain anatomy to unique symptoms, physical exam findings, specialized neurodiagnostics, and treatment and rehabilitation strategies, while providing insights gained from years of experience working on brain injury cases in the courtroom. The authors are also joined by specialists in audiology, ophthalmology, neuropsychiatry, and rehabilitation medicine who offer unique insights from their various fields on issues your injured clients may experience.

A traumatic brain injury is a complex condition that can have profound effects on your client's cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning. This book gives you the background necessary to counter defenses and teach juries what they need to know to provide just verdicts for your clients. As Nick Rowley writes:

It's important that we know the anatomy of the brain. If we don't know the anatomy, our opponents will. If we don’t know the anatomy, we're going to lack the credibility that we would have if we had a full understanding of the brain and how it works.

If we were trying a case that involved an engine that exploded, we would need to know what an engine is made of—its parts, its function, how the gaskets and fluids work, everything about the engine. It's our job to understand the engine—in this case, the brain—and educate the jury. In the courtroom, we are teachers and directors. The experts are just that, the experts, but it’s our job that when we try a brain injury case, that the jurors finish our trial with an understanding of the brain that they've never had before. We must become the authority on any subject matter that we’re going to present in front of a jury.

Anytime you're litigating a brain injury case, whether you’re reviewing an MRI report, a neurologist's report, an EMG (electromyography) report, or a neuropsychology report, you can look to this [book] to identify the different parts of the brain that have abnormalities. Using the clinical data, objective testing, and imaging, we can start to understand what has happened to our client, the human we represent.

Tens of thousands of people walk around every day with traumatic brain injuries—at times with no obvious signs or neurological or cognitive symptoms. The changes in your clients might be in their personality, cognition, memory, sleep patterns, reading comprehension, or ability to work. Unless you understand brain injuries, their long-term effects, and how they occur, you risk missing the full story.

Nikolskaya and Rowley prepare you to handle the many nuances of brain injury cases. With this book, you will be better armed to navigate everything from clinical evidence gathering and expert testimony to advocating for just compensation for brain injury survivors. This unique guide is designed to serve as an accessible educational resource. It presents complex neurological concepts and brain injury medicine in a comprehensible manner to help you secure outstanding outcomes for your brain-injured clients.

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Authors

Galina Nikolskaya, M.D.

Board-Certified Neurologist, Attorney Wellbeing Expert, Founder, Neuro Reset Retreats

Nicholas Rowley

Trial Lawyer

Details

Hardback: Hardcover; 704 pages; 1st edition (2026); 7x10; 978-1-951962-85-2;

Publisher: Trial Guides, LLC

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Brain Anatomy Overview by Galina Nikolskaya, MD and Nicholas Rowley, JD
2. Mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injuries: Microscopic and Structural Damage by Galina Nikolskaya, MD and Nicholas Rowley, JD
3. The Neurological Exam: From Normal to Objective Evidence Across Traumatic Brain Injury Severity by Galina Nikolskaya, MD and Nicholas Rowley, JD
4. Audiology and Vestibular Issues in Traumatic Brain Injury by Robert Allen, Au.D.
5. Acute Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Brain Bleeds by Galina Nikolskaya, MD and Nicholas Rowley, JD
6. Subacute and Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Bleed Complications by Galina Nikolskaya, MD and Nicholas Rowley, JD
7. Blood Neurotoxicity in Traumatic Brain Injury: Microscopic Insights by Galina Nikolskaya, MD and Nicholas Rowley, JD
8. Traumatic Brain Injury-Vulnerable Brain Regions and Associated Symptoms by Galina Nikolskaya, MD, and Nicholas Rowley, JD
9. Post-Traumatic Brain Injury Visual and Ocular-motor Dysfunction: A Guide for Attorneys by Penelope Suter, OD
10. Neuro-Ophthalmologic Assessment in Traumatic Brain Injury: Advances in Visual-Oculomotor Diagnostics by Marianna Samuels, OD
11. Post-Traumatic Headaches by Galina Nikolskaya, MD, and Nicholas Rowley, JD
12. Interactions Between Traumatic Brain Injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by Lester Zackler, MD
13. Rehabilitation and Reintegration After Traumatic Brain Injury by David Patterson, MD, Galina Nikolskaya, MD, and Nicholas Rowley, JD

 

Glossary & Pronunciation Guide

About the Authors