10 Facts about Traumatic Brain Injuries
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on February 12, 2018
When a person experiences a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, the effects are devastating for both the injured party as well as their friends and family members. In fact, in the United States about 30% of all injury deaths result from traumatic brain injuries. If a person survives a TBI, the symptoms can last a lifetime. TBIs can result in:
- Impaired movement
- Personality changes
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Impaired cognitive function
- Depression
Traumatic brain injuries are caused when a hit, jolt, or bump to the head disrupts the proper functions of the brain. TBIs range in severity. A more severe TBI results in longer periods of unconsciousness, extreme memory loss, and even death. However, the more common, mild form of TBI called “concussion” only brings about a brief change in consciousness or mental status and the injured party can generally bounce back.
10 Facts About Traumatic Brain Injuries
- The highest number of TBI-related emergency room visits are associated with sports (football, basketball, soccer, etc), biking, and other playground activities.
- However, while more emergency room visits result from injuries sustained through athletics, the truth is most TBIs occur in everyday accidents. 35 percent of TBIs can be attributed to falls while 17 percent can be attributed to motor vehicle accidents.
- 2.4 million Americans suffer from a TBI each year.
- Children and seniors are at the highest risk for TBI, particularly kids aged 0 to 4, teenagers from 15 to 19, and adults over 65.
- Men are 1.5 times more likely to suffer from traumatic brain injury than women.
- Once a person suffers from a concussion, the risk of them having another increases.
- The more concussions a person has, the longer it takes for them to recover from a new one.
- Kids who have taken one or more blows to the head in the past recover from concussions much more slowly.
- It takes an average of 100 days for a child to recover from a concussion.
- TBIs increase the risk for a variety of life altering conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s’ disease.
The effects of a traumatic brain injury sustained in a car accident or fall can be life changing. Those who suffer from traumatic brain injuries due to another party’s negligence may be entitled to financial compensation. If you or a loved one has been permanently effected by a TBI, contact a lawyer today.
At Cooper & Friedman Law Office, we have years of experience working with personal injury cases. If you or someone you love needs a personal injury lawyer in Kentucky or Southern Indiana contact us today for a free case consultation. You can also call us at 502-459-7555!