March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. As a Portland, Oregon personal injury lawyer, motor vehicle crashes and car accidents are among the cases that I consider most often. They are also among the leading causes of traumatic brain injury (“TBI”). Thus, this month, Oregon Personal Injury Law Blog will focus on TBI in a series of posts on the causes and the consequences of these types of serious personal injuries.
TBI is a serious health concern. According to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control “CDC”), traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States. In a 1999 report, the CDS estimated that each year some 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI.
Despite public-health efforts to lower the incidence of TBI since 1999, approximately 1.4 million people continue to sustain TBIs each year in the United States. As a result, some
- 50,000 people die.
- 80,000 to 90,000 people experience the onset of long-term disability.
- 235,000 people are hospitalized and survive.
- 1.1 million people are treated and released from an emergency department. Others may sustain a TBI without ever being seen in an emergency department or receiving care.
The Brain Injury Association of America defines a TBI as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Such an injury may range in severity from “mild” (a brief change in mental status or consciousness) to “severe” (an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury). Consequences may include functional changes affecting thinking, language, learning, emotions, behavior, and/or sensation. TBI has also been implicated as a cause of epilepsy. It increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders.
Brain Injury Association statistics show that motor vehicle crashes, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck collisions, account for 20% of TBIs. Falls cause 28% of TBI cases. Sports may cause concussions, which are a form of TBI. Youth sports are of particular concern. About 135,000 sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, affect children ages 5 to 18.
Not every head injury is a TBI, but every head injury is serious. If you or a loved one have sustained a blow or other impact during a fall, car accident, sports practice, or athletic competition, contact a traumatic brain injury attorney promptly. The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson provides a no-cost, no-obligation case consultation to evaluate potential claims for personal injury involving TBI. Contact Portland injury attorney Dane Johnson toll free at (800) 714-3204, or tell us about your case online.
Related Web Resources
Brain Injury Association of America
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A Report to Congress (Dec. 1999).
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