What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 1.7 million people suffer some form of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, every year in the United States.

Out of these injury victims, about 1.365 million are treated by an emergency room before being released. Approximately 52,000 people are killed and 275,000 are hospitalized each year for traumatic brain injury.

Many of these individuals were hurt through no fault of their own in accidents that were caused by someone else’s negligence. Personal injury lawyers are often able to fight for the rights of these injury victims through pursuing financial compensation for their injuries.

Definition of Traumatic Brain Injury

The Mayo Clinic defines traumatic brain injury as an injury caused by an external force that causes brain dysfunction. In many cases, mild traumatic brain injury can occur in the form of a concussion that causes temporary dysfunction within the brain. In more serious cases, traumatic brain injury can result in permanent disability or loss of life.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury in the United States, accounting for 35.2 percent of all brain injuries caused by external forces from 2002 to 2006. While motor vehicle accidents were only responsible for 17.3 of traumatic brain injuries over this time period, these accidents were responsible for the most traumatic brain injuries that resulted in death.

Other leading causes of traumatic brain injury include assaults, striking against an object and being struck by an object.

Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury

The symptoms of traumatic brain injury can vary considerably depending on the severity of an injury. Some common symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury include:

• Temporary, short-term loss of consciousness
• Feeling dizzy, dazed or disoriented
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Blurred vision
• Tinnitus

Some common symptoms of more severe cases of traumatic brain injury include:

• Loss of consciousness for more than a few minutes
• Severe confusion
• Seizures
• Convulsions
• Slurred speech
• Dilated pupils
• Nausea

A more comprehensive list of the symptoms of mild to severe traumatic brain injuries can be found at the Mayo Clinic’s website.

Call Abrahamson & Uiterwyk today & put our experienced traumatic brain injury lawyers to work for you!

Our experienced traumatic brain injury lawyers may be able to fight for your rights if you’ve been injured in an accident in our area. Call us today at 1-800-538-4878 to get started.