Traumatic Brain Injury

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. Recent data shows that, on average, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury annually

A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from mild to severe.

What are the Leading Causes of TBI?

The leading causes of TBI are:

  • Falls
  • Motor vehicle – traffic
  • Struck by/against events
  • Assaults

Concussion and Mild TBI

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth.

Health care professionals may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because concussions are usually not life-threatening. Regardless, their effects can be serious

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Each year, TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. In fact, TBI is a contributing factor to a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States.1 On average, of the 1.7 million people who sustain a TBI each year in this country: 52,000 people die and 275,000 are hospitalized.

A severe TBI not only impacts the life of an individual and their family, but it also has a large societal and economic toll. The estimated economic cost of TBI in 2010, including direct and indirect medical costs, is estimated to be approximately $76.5 billion.

Types of Severe TBI

There are two types of severe TBI, each described below by associated causes:

Closed – an injury to the brain caused by movement of the brain within the skull. Causes may include falls, motor vehicle crash, or being struck by or with an object.

Penetrating – an injury to the brain caused by a foreign object entering the skull. Causes may include firearm injuries or being struck with a sharp object.

Potential Affects of Severe TBI

A non-fatal severe TBI may result in an extended period of unconsciousness (coma) or amnesia after the injury. For individuals hospitalized after a TBI, almost half (43%) have a related disability one year after the injury. TBI may lead to a wide range of short- or long-term issues affecting:

Cognitive Function (attention and memory)

Motor function (extremity weakness, impaired coordination and balance)

Sensation (hearing, vision, impaired perception and touch)

Emotion (depression, anxiety, aggression, impulse control, personality changes)

Approximately 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability and the consequences of severe TBI can affect all aspects of an individual’s life. This can include relationships with family and friends, as well as their ability to work or be employed, do household tasks, drive, and/or participate in other activities of daily living.

What are the Potential Long-Term Outcomes of TBI?

The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness, to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury.

TBI can cause a wide range of functional short- or long-term changes affecting thinking, sensation, language, or emotions:

  • Thinking (memory and reasoning);
  • Sensation (touch, taste, and smell);
  • Language (communication, expression, and understanding); and
  • Emotion (i.e., depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness)

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.

About 75% of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild TBI. Repeated mild TBIs occurring over an extended period of time (i.e., months, years) can result in cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. Repeated mild TBIs occurring within a short period of time (i.e., hours, days, or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal.

CONTACT THE EXPERIENCED BRAIN INJURY LAWYERS atThe Yankowitz Law Firm

THE YANKOWITZ LAW FIRMcontinues to aggressively represent victims of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) caused bytruck, automobile, bus, train accidents /crashes; construction site accidents, unsafe building and workplace maintenance, and hospital/medical malpractice. We have a wealth of experience and success handling complex traumatic brain injury cases and have helped numerous clients get the justice and compensation they deserve, including a recent  $ 5,000,000 settlement for a mild TBI client.

Call us at 1-800-LAW-3333, speak to Jack Yankowitz directly. When you retain The Yankowtiz Law Firm, we represent you on a contingency fee basis i.e. our fee is earned and paid only from the money we recover for you.