The Brain Injury Association of America, or BIAA, has declared March Brain Injury Awareness Month. As a part of their Change Your Mind Campaign, the BIAA is devoting their efforts this month to de-stigmatizing brain injuries through community outreach, empowering survivors of brain injuries as well as their caregivers, and promoting support for patients living with brain injuries.
As Dallas traumatic brain injury lawyers, Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers supports National Brain Injury Awareness Month and is committed to aiding the BIAA in their mission to educate the public. Keep reading for all the important statistics about brain injuries, and contact Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers today if you or someone you know is seeking representation.
Brain Injuries: Get the Facts
Brain injuries are more common than you might think. Roughly every 9 seconds in the United States, a new person sustains a brain injury.
Most of the time, when the Brain Injury Association of America or medical professionals talk about raising awareness around brain injuries, they’re talking about an acquired brain injury, or ABI. ABIs can be any kind of brain injury that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced as a result of birth trauma. Over 3.5 million children and adults suffer from ABIs every year, though the total number of those who sustain these injuries is unknown.
Common causes of ABIs include:
- Electric shocks
- Infectious diseases
- Lightening strikes
- Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxia/Anoxia) as a result of smoke inhalation
- Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxia/Anoxia) as a result of almost drowning
- Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxia/Anoxia) for another reason
- Strokes
- Seizures
- Overdoses
- Toxic Exposure
- Tumors
In the legal field, when we discuss brain injuries, we are usually referring to a specific type of ABI, called a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. A TBI constitutes any type of brain injury caused by an external force—usually involving some kind of blunt force trauma to the head. While at least 137 people in the United States die every day because of a TBI-related injury, the exact number of fatalities is hard to quantify, as no one knows how many people sustain TBIs every year without seeking treatment.
1 out of every 60, or roughly 5.3 million Americans live with TBI-related disabilities. Of the 2.5 million people in the U.S. who sustain a TBI every year, 2.2 million seek treatment in E.R.s and trauma centers. 280,000 out of those who seek treatment are hospitalized, while 50,000 die.
The leading causes of TBIs in America are:
- Assaults (10.7%)
- Motor vehicle/traffic accidents (14.3%)
- Accidents where people are struck by/against something (15.5%)
- Unknown (19%)
- Falls (40.5%)
If you or someone you know believe you have sustained a TBI, it is important to seek treatment immediately. The longer you wait to deal with this type of injury, the worse it is likely to get.
Common symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include:
- Continual headaches
- Memory loss
- Light sensitivity
- Coordination issues
- Seizures
- Vision problems
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Sleeping difficulties
- Change in personality or temperament
- Depression
Don’t Let a Brain Injury Define You. Seek Representation Today.
Brain injuries affect nearly every aspect of society, from healthcare and insurance to the government and education, to the way we practice law. It is important to join with the Brain Injury Association of America to de-stigmatize this distressingly common type of injury, as well as find ways of preventing more from occurring.
It is also important to provide individuals who have suffered brain injuries and their loved ones with skilled legal counsel. That’s why our Dallas personal injury lawyers at Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers provide multiple avenues for patients and family-members to secure compensation, from catastrophic injury suits to wrongful death litigation. If you or someone in your life has sustained a brain injury or other type of injury, call Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers today. At Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers, we don’t fight for victims, we fight for survivors.
To schedule a free consultation, dial (214) 739-0100 now, or contact us online.