Depending on the severity of the injury, individuals may suffer from lasting effects that alter emotion, language, mobility, sensation and thinking abilities. According to the CDC, 1.4 million people sustain some form of brain injury annually. Every year, 1.1 million individuals are treated and released from hospitals, 235,000 people are hospitalized for a varying length of time, and 50,000 die.

Falls

Falls contribute to 28% of brain injuries every year. This is the leading cause of injury and arguably the most preventable. Children from 0 to 4 years are the most susceptible followed by the elderly who are 75 years of age and older.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents account for 20% of annual brain injury cases. More people are hospitalized for brain injury resulting from motor vehicle accidents than from any other cause. Young people from the ages of 15 to 19 have the highest number of hospitalizations following accident related brain injury.

Struck by or Against an Object

The third leading cause of brain injury, or 19%, occurs when someone collides head first with an object that is moving or stationary. Reports indicate that between 1.6 and 3.8 million people suffer brain injuries annually as a result of a recreational or sporting event. Statistics also claim that most of the individuals are never seen in an emergency room or other hospital type setting.

Assaults

Annually, 11% of brain injury cases are a direct result of an assault. Fire arm related assaults are the leading cause of brain injury death in the U.S. Statistics indicates that 9 out of 10 people receiving a brain injury as a result of a gun shot wound die. Suicidal intent is suspected in 66% of fire arm related brain injuries.

Explosion situations in war zones are the leading cause of brain injury among active U.S. military soldiers.

If you or someone you love has suffered a brain injury, visit the Law Offices of Kelley Uustal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The resulting symptoms can range from mild to extremely severe, depending on the location of the brain damaged and the amount of damage that has occurred. An individual who has suffered a mild form of TBI may or may not lose consciousness but have effects that manifest at a later date. These symptoms can be in the form of confusion, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, altered sleep patterns, mood swings, loss of memory, ringing sounds in the ears or an unusual taste in the mouth.

More moderate to severe symptoms will be the same as the mild manifestations but with headaches that occur chronically (with increasing severity) and may result in nausea/vomiting, seizures, speech difficulties, numbness in the arms or legs, increased levels of agitations and confusion.

Is there treatment available?
Those individuals who show signs of moderate to severe TBI, following a head trauma, need to seek immediate medical attention. The reason for this is that, even though the initial damage cannot be repaired, the person must be stabilized in order to prevent further injury.

This stabilization can be accomplished by monitoring (and possibly increasing) the oxygen supply to the body (particularly the brain) along with a battery of tests to determine the actual extent of the damage. Imaging tests along with X-Rays of the head and neck area will reveal any fractures that were incurred during the trauma or any spinal irregularities. The imaging tests will be in the form of a computed tomography scan (CT scan).

For those who have received a moderate to severe brain injury, surgery will usually be indicated to remove/repair blood clots (hematomas) in about 50% of the cases. Depending on the injury, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychological treatment and other therapies may be needed along with social issues assistance. In more serious cases, the results of the injury may include coma or a persistent vegetative state, in which the person is unconscious and unaware of their surroundings and need around-the-clock medical care.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

If you, or a loved one, are suffering from the effects of a traumatic brain injury, you may need to know the options that can be made available to you. You can visit us here for more detailed information from the counselors at Bloom Legal – located in New Orleans, Louisiana.