Over 5,000,000 Americans live with disabilities resulting from TBI
Over 1,000,000 Americans sustain a TBI every year
Over 80,000 Americans experience the onset of long-term disability annually
Over 50,000 people die every year as a result of TBI
Over 230,000 people are hospitalized and survive
Over 80,000 people are discharged with some form of TBI-related disability
Over 50,000 people die each year with TBI
Males are far more likely to incur a Brain Injury than females.
The highest rate of injury occurs between the ages of 15-24 years. Persons under the age of 5 or over the age of 75 are also at increased risk
Motor Vehicle Crashes account for 50% of all Brain Injuries
Other causes include strokes, anoxia, tumors, viral infections, degenerative diseases, near drowning, and other conditions not involving external force
The leading causes of Brain Injuries vary by age: falls are the leading cause of TBI among persons aged 65 years and older; transportation is the leading cause of TBI among persons under the age of 65 years.
Estimates suggest that sports related brain injury accounts for close to 300,000 injuries each year, with winter sports such as skiing and ice-skating accounting for close to 20,000 brain injuries
The risk of TBI is highest among adolescents, young adults and the elderly
TBI in the United States costs over $50 billion annually
In the United States alone, over 1,000,000 people suffer from brain injuries each year. While many accidents do not result in death or serious injury, other accidents dramatically affect victims for the remainder of their lives.
Head impact injuries, especially "traumatic brain injuries," (TBI) can leave the victim in varying states of debilitation. While blunt trauma to the skull is the most likely source of traumatic brain injury, prolonged lack of oxygen, or the "anoxic brain injury" can also have severe and life threatening consequences. With traumatic brain injury, the victim's brain may swell, bruise, and tear, while anoxic brain injury causes the brain cells to die from lack of oxygen. Traumatic brain injury is more common than anoxic brain injury, however both injuries have similar consequences and treatments.
All potential brain injury individuals should seek proper medical evaluation from a doctor trained to recognize brain injury signs and symptoms. The brain injury symptoms are generally greatest immediately after the brain injury has been experienced. A brain injury will not always heal, affecting cognitive functioning and other basic functions. The sooner the brain injury is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can help the brain injury patient heal and recover any lost functioning.
Traumatic Brain Injuries Include:
Tearing - The sudden impact of the body colliding with another object (such as a car or baseball bat) may cause very delicate tissue in the brain to tear apart. Unfortunately, modern medical devices (x-ray, CT scan , MRI) often do not detect torn brain tissue. As a result, the injured patient may be given a clean bill of health when in fact there has been significant brain damage.
Bruising - Bruising, like tearing, is caused by impact to the skull. The impact forces the soft tissue of the brain into the much harder skull. The collision between the tissue and the skull may rupture small blood vessels allowing blood to escape into areas of the brain unsuitable for such blood. The unconfined blood places additional pressure on the brain tissue. This pressure may cause parts of the brain to stop functioning. As the brain is responsible for operating the most basic bodily functions (such as breathing ), it can be quite perilous for any part of the brain to shut down.
Swelling - While swelling in most other body parts is not typically considered life threatening, swelling of the brain can be. When swelling occurs in other parts of the body, the tissue surrounding the injured area expands to relieve the pressure. The brain however is surrounded by the hard bone of the skull and therefore cannot expand to accommodate the swelling occurring inside. When the brain swells, the pressure inside the skull increases along with the likelihood of severe consequences as a result.
TBI Problems Include:
Long and short-term memory loss
Reduced ability to process information
Diminished concentration
General communication difficulties
Disorientation
Impaired judgment
Difficulty in initiating activities
Difficulty in completing tasks
Physical problems include;
Seizures
Spasticity
Vision problems
Reduction or loss of smell or taste
Speech impairment
Headaches or migraines
Fatigue
Balance difficulties
To protect your legal rights following a traumatic brain injury, it is generally wise to consult an attorney who is experienced in handling head injury cases, and knowledgeable in medical issues such as spastic cerebral palsy. In the event of a head injury, it is also important that your attorney understand the full extent of physical, mental and emotional disability often resulting from such injuries. An attorney who has handled brain injury cases in the past will be able to prepare your case most effectively.
CONTACT A TRAMATIC BRAIN INJURY LAWYER IN U.S.
If you are in need of legal advice or services, or simply wish to speak to an attorney who has successfully handled a Traumatic Brain Injury case in U.S. , you may use this Free Online Consultation Form.
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