Traumatic Brain Injury - the problem
A blow or jolt to the head can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which
can disrupt the function of the brain. Concussions, also called “closed head
injuries,” are a type of TBI.
TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent
disability annually.
• Each year in the United States, an estimated
1.5 million people sustain a TBI. Of those, 230,000 are
hospitalized and survive, which is more than 20 times the number
of hospitalizations for spinal cord injury, another key disabling
injury (CDC 1999b; CDC 2001; Thurman et al. 1999).
50,000 people die from a TBI, which accounts for one-third of all
injury deaths (CDC 1996).
80,000 to 90,000 people experience the onset of long-term or
lifelong disability associated with a TBI (Thurman et al. 1999).
• Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI results in an estimated
3,000 deaths,
29,000 hospitalizations, and
400,000 emergency department visits (Langlois et al. 2001).
• Of the 1.5 million people who experience a TBI each year, approximately
1.1 million, or 75%, are concussions or other forms of mild TBI (CDC
2003).
• An estimated 300,000 sports-related brain injuries of mild to moderate
severity occur in the United States each year (Sosin et al. 1996).
Symptoms
Because the brain is complex, every brain injury is different. Some symptoms
may appear right away. Other symptoms may not show up for days or weeks.
Sometimes the injury makes it hard for people to recognize or to admit that
they are having problems.
The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle. Early on, problems
may be missed by patients, family members, and doctors. People may look
fine even though they may act or feel differently.
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Contact our Brain Head Injury Lawyers today for your free case consultation by calling (718) 858-3100
or simply email us your information. We will contact you back as soon as possible.
Suffering must be stopped.
You have rights & protections by law!
Be Informed: Related Brain Head Injury Issues
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