March Is Brain Injury Awareness Month

 Posted on March 18, 2021 in Personal Injury

National statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have reached nearly epidemic proportions. According to the CDC, more than 50,000 people die every year from causes associated with TBI. Almost 2.2 million people are treated at emergency rooms for an injury to their brain, and approximately 280,000 people end up hospitalized because of serious TBI. Many of these injuries are the result of accidents caused by the negligence or recklessness of another party. 

These statistics do not include people who develop a concussion from their head injuries but do not seek treatment, or, if they did see a medical professional, the TBI was a secondary diagnosis. If all those victims were included, then the CDC puts the number of people in this country who sustain brain injuries every year at over 3 million. 

Brain Injuries Causes

The most common cause of brain injuries is falling, approximately 48 percent. This is especially true for children under the age of 14 and for senior citizens. Motor vehicle crashes are the second most common cause of brain injuries, resulting in about 20 percent of all brain injuries each year.

Brain injuries caused by the victim being hit in the head or colliding with an object cause approximately 15 percent of brain injuries, and assaults are responsible for slightly more than 10 percent of new brain injuries every year.

Levels of Brain Injuries

A person who receives any kind of head injury should seek medical attention immediately. Even a mild concussion can end up having deadly consequences in some cases if not treated correctly. It is also not unusual for symptoms of a TBI to not show up for several days after the person sustained the injury. A victim’s emotion, language, sensation, and thinking skills can all be affected.

There are three levels of brain injuries that can occur. The first level is a mild brain injury. Although a concussion or other mild brain injury may not seem to be serious, victims still need to be under a doctor’s care and follow all recommended treatments. Symptoms can include dizziness, headache, and vision issues. Some victims may even lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes following the injury.

Moderate or severe brain injuries can have the same symptoms as a mild injury, but also may suffer from slurred speech, nausea or vomiting, numbness or tingling in limbs, increased agitation, confusion, or restlessness, and convulsions or seizures. Victims may also lose consciousness from a few minutes to several hours or may even fall into a coma.

Brain injuries have also been known to trigger epilepsy in some victims, as well as increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other brain disorders.

Contact a Larimer County Personal Injury Lawyer for Assistance

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident that resulted in a brain injury, the financial losses associated with that injury can be overwhelming. You may be entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and more. Call Hoggatt Injury Law today at 970-225-2190 to schedule a free consultation with one of our dedicated Fort Collins accident attorneys. Our legal team will help you get the compensation you deserve. 

Sources:

http://www.biausa.org/

http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pubs/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html