| Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are caused by a blow | | | | United States alone. Of these 1.4 millions cases, |
| or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that | | | | roughly 50,000 end in death, 235,000 are hospitalized, |
| disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows | | | | and 1.1 million are treated and released from the |
| or jolts to the head result in a traumatic brain injury. | | | | emergency department. The leading causes of |
| TBI symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe, | | | | traumatic brain injuries are falls (28 percent), motor |
| depending on the extent of damage to the brain. A | | | | vehicle accidents (20 percent), struck by/against |
| mild TBI usually involves a brief change in mental | | | | events (19 percent) and assaults (11 percent). |
| status or consciousness while a severe TBI would | | | | Traumatic brain injuries often end in death or |
| mean an extended period of unconsciousness or | | | | disability. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) |
| amnesia after the injury. | | | | estimates that 5.3 million Americans, approximately 2 |
| Traumatic brain injuries can have different signs and | | | | percent of the population, currently have difficulty |
| symptoms depending upon the severity of the injury. | | | | performing daily living activities as a result of a TBI. A |
| With mild TBI some symptoms include dizziness, | | | | TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes |
| vomiting, loss of consciousness for a few seconds or | | | | that affect thinking, sensation, language, and/or |
| minutes, difficulty balancing, blurred vision, ringing in | | | | emotions. TBI patients can also develop epilepsy and |
| the ears, confusion, and trouble with memory or | | | | have an increased risk for conditions such as |
| concentration. Any of these symptoms could also be | | | | Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and |
| found in moderate or severe TBI cases. Moderate or | | | | other brain disorders that become more prevalent |
| severe TBI patients may experience headaches that | | | | with age. |
| don’t go away, repeated vomiting, dilation in one | | | | Direct and indirect costs such as loss of productivity |
| or both pupils, slurred speech, language problems, | | | | from a TBI were totaled at an estimated $60 billion in |
| weakness or numbness in the limbs, loss of | | | | the United States in 2000. |
| coordination, restlessness, and agitation. All of these | | | | A traumatic brain injury can result from auto |
| symptoms are serious but may not show up for | | | | accidents, medical malpractice, and many other |
| hours or even days and in some cases even weeks | | | | causes. If you believe someone's negligence was the |
| after the initial TBI. | | | | cause of your injury, consult a lawyer as soon as |
| Traumatic brain injuries are sustained by | | | | possible to review your case. |
| approximately 1.4 million people each year in the | | | | |