According to the CDC, in 2014, 2.87 million traumatic brain injury-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths occurred. About one-third of these were children, and nearly 57,000 of the brain injuries resulted in death.
Between 2006 and 2014, emergency room visits related to traumatic brain injuries increased by nearly 54 percent, while death rates related to traumatic brain injuries decreased by 6 percent.
Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability in the U.S., and those who survive a TBI may face effects which last from a few days to a lifetime. Some of the primary causes of traumatic brain injury include the following:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Falls
- Violence or gunshot wounds
- Military attacks or bomb blasts
FALLS AND CAR CRASHES ARE MAIN CAUSE OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES
The CDC found that falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, accounting for nearly half of all traumatic brain injury ER visits. Children and the elderly are disproportionately affected by traumatic brain injuries. In fact, four in five traumatic brain injury-related emergency room visits in older adults over the age of 65 were caused by falls, and an equal number of traumatic brain injury-related ER visits among children between the ages of 0 and 17 were caused by falls.
The second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries is motor vehicle crashes. The potential for a head injury during a motor vehicle accident is significant, particularly when a seat belt is not worn. When the head strikes a hard object, such as a windshield or steering wheel, or even when the head snaps forward, then backward in a violent motion (usually following a rear-end collision), a brain injury can occur. As far as traumatic brain injury deaths, intentional self-harm was the primary leading cause in 2014.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY RISK FACTORS
The leading cause of traumatic brain injury deaths varies by age. Falls are the leading cause of TBI deaths for those age 65 and older. Intentional self-harm is the leading cause of TBI death for those between the ages of 45 and 64, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of TBI death for those between the ages of 15 and 34.
For those between the ages of 5 and 14, being struck in the head by or against an object was the primary reason for a traumatic brain injury.
CONTACT OUR PHOENIX TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY LAWYERS TODAY
If your loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in Phoenix or anywhere in the state of Arizona, it is important to understand how this injury could adversely affect your entire life. Effects of a traumatic brain injury can include impaired cognitive function, movement, sensation, vision, hearing, as well as changes in emotional functioning, including personality changes and depression. As such, you may need significant compensation to help you put your life back together again after a serious accident.
At Miller Kory Rowe LLP, our Arizona traumatic brain injury lawyers are here every step of the way. Contact us today at (602) 648-4045 for a free initial consultation and review of your case. We can help you protect your loved one and obtain the compensation you need to help them through this horrific ordeal. Call today.