Brain injuries are one of the most difficult types of injuries victims and families have to cope with following a car accident or other type of traumatic accident. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) contribute to approximately 30 percent of all injury-related deaths. Each day in the United States, 138 victims die from injuries that include TBIs. Symptoms and signs of a TBI can include impaired thinking and memory; impaired movement or sensation, including vision and hearing; and impaired emotional function which can include personality disruptions and depression.
During 2010, there were approximately 2.5 million emergency room visits, hospitalizations or deaths related to TBI. Traumatic brain injuries were diagnosed in greater than 2.2 million emergency room visits and 280,000 hospitalizations and accounted for 50,000 deaths. Motor vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of TBIs among all different groups. In general, TBIs are bumps, blows and jolts to the head that disrupt normal brain function and can include closed or open head injuries.
The impact of a TBI can be felt on victims and their families. Victims and their families may suffer physical, financial and emotional damages associated with the long and costly recovery process from a TBI. In many cases, ongoing treatment, sometimes for a lifetime, and rehabilitative care are necessary to treat a traumatic brain injury.
Because of the serious and costly nature of brain injuries, victims and their families may be able to recover damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, future medical costs, lost earnings, lost earning-capacity and pain and suffering damages associated with a traumatic brain injury. When victims have wrongfully suffered a traumatic brain injury, it is important that they and their families understand the personal injury and wrongful death options that may be available to them when harmed.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “TBI: Get the Facts,” Accessed Oct. 20, 2016
