Traumatic Brain Injuries: How Do the Happen and How Can They Affect Someone?
What you’ll learn reading this article:
Whether you are a parent, athletic coach, health care provider, business owner or employer, keeping the people close to you safe and injury free seems to rank high on priority lists. And with traumatic brain injuries ( TBIs ) contributing to more than a third of all injury-related deaths in the United States each year, there is no doubt more and more individuals are feeling the reality of a life impacted by TBI each day.
Common Causes of TBI and People Most Affected
TBIs typically occur when a blow or jolt to the head results in damage to the brain. Diagnoses will range from mild to severe. The Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) offers a few fast facts to understand why these injuries most commonly occur and who the likely individuals at greater risk are.
People aged 65 years old and older have the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalizations and death.
Falls are the leading cause of TBI and recent data shows that the number of fall-related TBIs among children aged 0-4 years and in older adults aged 75 years or older is increasing.
Being struck by or against an object is the second leading cause of TBI, accounting for about 15 percent of TBI-related ED visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States.
Among all age groups, motor vehicle crashes and traffic-related incidents result in the largest percentage of TBI-related deaths.
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), a form of abusive head trauma (AHT) and inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI), is a leading cause of child maltreatment deaths in the United States.
Life After TBI
Sadly, for individuals that have been hospitalized after a TBI, nearly half will be living with a related disability one year later. Depending on the part of the brain affected and the severity of the injury, other head injury survivors may experience a range of problems following a traumatic brain injury affecting things such as:
Thinking
Attention and memory
Learning
Coordination and balance, impaired coordination
Speech, hearing or vision
Personality changes
Managing emotions like depression, anxiety, aggression, and impulse control
In addition, brain injuries change lives. Relationships with family, friends and coworkers will never be the same. A person recovering from a TBI may not be able to work or provide the financial stability they once did. They also may not be able to perform common daily activities such as cooking, working on a computer, mowing the lawn, participating in family events and activities, or operating a motor vehicle.
Personality changes
TBIs can occur from a variety of events. Some may be accidental while others are caused by another person’s negligence. In any case, someone may be held liable and speaking with an attorney can help provide a path to support you or your loved one’s recovery.
We Provide the Attention You Deserve
At Baker Law Team, we are a family practice, and we treat each client like family. If you or a loved one have been impacted by a TBI, don’t suffer any longer and complete this form to contact us for your free initial consultation. By speaking to a qualified brain injury attorney today, you can find out whether you can seek compensation in your brain injury case. Give us a call today at 317-899-9091.
