A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result anytime the head is impacted. Brain damage can range from mild to severe. Mild brain damage can include short loss of consciousness or mental status. Severe brain damage can include long bouts of unconsciousness, coma, amnesia or death. Short or long term problems may also result with or without independent function. TBI may affect functional changes including thinking, learning, language, behavior, emotions, sensation and other functions. Brain disorders that are more common in older ages such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are more likely to occur as a result of TBI. Medical and scientific evidence has shown that symptoms of TBI sometimes do not surface until long after the accident or trauma.
Every year in the United States, approximately 1.4 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury. That amounts to nearly 4,000 TBI incidents per day. Of those, around 50,000 die, 235,000 are hospitalized and 1.1 million are treated and released from a hospital emergency room. Currently, over 5 million people in the U.S. live with TBI and its disabilities. With severe TBI, a lifetime of costly medical care will be necessary.
Serious slip and fall or trip and fall accidents can result in traumatic brain injuries or closed head injuries or brain trauma. An infant or small child that falls from an elevated height in comparison to his or her height can also suffer severe brain damage. Car, motorcycle, and trucking accidents are large contributors of TBI. Being hit in the head in a sporting activity or being the victim of a physical assault are also leading causes of TBI.
Due to the seriousness of traumatic brain injuries, special attention must be placed in accounting for a lifetime of future needs including medical expenses, special equipment, therapies, medications, supplies, transportation, special housing arrangements and care, lost earnings, pain and suffering and other damages.
Some of the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Falls (28%)
- Motor Vehicle and Traffic Accidents (20%)
- Assaults (11%)
The highest risk age groups for TBI are 0 - 4 year olds and 15 - 19 year olds.
Most common accidents which can cause traumatic brain injuries include:
- Diving Head First into Shallow Water
- Near Drowning in an Unsafe Pool
- Dangerous Products
- Medical Malpractice
- Explosives
- Firearm or Gunshot Wound to the Head
- Construction Accidents
Some of the most common symptoms following a head or brain injury can include:
- Prolonged Headache
- Memory Problems
- Short or No Attention Span
- Loss of Consciousness
- Speech Problems
- Drunken State Behavior
- Comatose State
- Hearing Problems
- Motor Skills Problems
- Vision Problems
- Thinking Problems
- Low Brain Activity
- Wild Mood Swings
You can reach Personal Injury Lawyer J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo by dialing his direct number at (786) 272-5841, calling the main office at (305) 461-1095, or Toll Free at 1 (866) 71-CLAIM or email Attorney Gonzalez-Sirgo directly at [email protected].
