The human brain is highly sensitive to injury and potentially irreparable damage. As such, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) should never be taken lightly, no matter how minor. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million people suffer a brain injury every year. As a catastrophic injury, a TBI can cause permanent, life-altering changes in a person's cognitive abilities, motor functions, sensations, and emotions. Brain injuries not only inflict physical pain and psychological trauma, but also often cause significant financial challenges due to long-term and intensive medical care and treatment.
Common Causes of Brain Injury
Brain injuries forever change the lives of innocent people. The following is a list of some of the most common causes of brain injury.
Fall Accidents
As the leading cause of brain injury, fall accidents account for approximately 35.2 percent of incidents in the United States. About half of the brain injuries that affect children ages 0 to 14 years and about 61 percent among adults ages 65 years and older are caused by falls.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents, including incidents involving passenger cars, motorcycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and bicyclists account for about 17.3 percent of brain injuries. Depending on the severity of a crash, a person may suffer a mild concussion or severe head trauma based on vehicle speed, object of impact, and location of impact. Traffic related accidents are the second leading cause of TBI among all age groups but cause many of the most tragic injuries, accounting for the largest percentage of TBI-related deaths at 31.8 percent.
Struck By/Against Events
Struck by/against events can be serious and account for roughly 16.5 percent of brain injuries. These types of incidents often occur at construction sites, nursing homes, various workplaces, and even sporting activities.
Assaults
As a cause of brain injury that occurs less frequently than any other category, assault is still responsible for about 10 percent of all brain injuries. Assaults account for 2.9 percent of brain injuries in children ages 0 to 14 years and 1 percent in adults aged 65 years and older.
Far-Reaching Effects of TBI
Brain injury causes varying functional short- and/or long-term changes that influence thinking, sensation, language, and emotions. An individual's ability to remember, reason, touch, taste, smell, communicate, express, and understand can be affected by a brain injury. In addition, a person may face personality changes, aggression, anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges. In more serious cases, a brain injury can lead to epilepsy or raise the potential for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that are more common with age.
As a contributing factor in one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States, an average of 52,000 individuals die and 275,000 individuals are hospitalized due to TBI. Not only is a brain injury devastating for injury victims and families, but there is also a significant societal and economic toll. Based on data provided by the CDC for 2010, the economic cost of brain injury, including direct and indirect medical expenses, is approximately $76.5 billion. The cost of fatal brain injuries and brain injuries requiring hospitalization are responsible for about 90 percent of the brain injury medical costs.
Seeking Legal Recourse
A Rhode Island catastrophic injury attorney at Marasco & Nesselbush understands how important it is for a brain injury victim and their family to obtain full and just compensation from those responsible for causing the injury. As a law firm committed to social, economic, and personal justice, our lawyers will help you obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages. While no one can undo the devastating impact of brain injuries, we can help to insure financial compensation and security for you and your family. To learn more about how we can protect your rights, please fill out a contact form or call (401) 274-7400 for a free consultation.
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Providence RI Brain Injury Attorneys
The human brain is highly sensitive to injury and potentially irreparable damage. As such, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) should never be taken lightly, no matter how minor. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million people suffer a brain injury every year. As a catastrophic injury, a TBI can cause permanent, life-altering changes in a person's cognitive abilities, motor functions, sensations, and emotions. Brain injuries not only inflict physical pain and psychological trauma, but also often cause significant financial challenges due to long-term and intensive medical care and treatment.
Common Causes of Brain Injury
Brain injuries forever change the lives of innocent people. The following is a list of some of the most common causes of brain injury.
Fall Accidents
As the leading cause of brain injury, fall accidents account for approximately 35.2 percent of incidents in the United States. About half of the brain injuries that affect children ages 0 to 14 years and about 61 percent among adults ages 65 years and older are caused by falls.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents, including incidents involving passenger cars, motorcycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and bicyclists account for about 17.3 percent of brain injuries. Depending on the severity of a crash, a person may suffer a mild concussion or severe head trauma based on vehicle speed, object of impact, and location of impact. Traffic related accidents are the second leading cause of TBI among all age groups but cause many of the most tragic injuries, accounting for the largest percentage of TBI-related deaths at 31.8 percent.
Struck By/Against Events
Struck by/against events can be serious and account for roughly 16.5 percent of brain injuries. These types of incidents often occur at construction sites, nursing homes, various workplaces, and even sporting activities.
Assaults
As a cause of brain injury that occurs less frequently than any other category, assault is still responsible for about 10 percent of all brain injuries. Assaults account for 2.9 percent of brain injuries in children ages 0 to 14 years and 1 percent in adults aged 65 years and older.
Far-Reaching Effects of TBI
Brain injury causes varying functional short- and/or long-term changes that influence thinking, sensation, language, and emotions. An individual's ability to remember, reason, touch, taste, smell, communicate, express, and understand can be affected by a brain injury. In addition, a person may face personality changes, aggression, anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges. In more serious cases, a brain injury can lead to epilepsy or raise the potential for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that are more common with age.
As a contributing factor in one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States, an average of 52,000 individuals die and 275,000 individuals are hospitalized due to TBI. Not only is a brain injury devastating for injury victims and families, but there is also a significant societal and economic toll. Based on data provided by the CDC for 2010, the economic cost of brain injury, including direct and indirect medical expenses, is approximately $76.5 billion. The cost of fatal brain injuries and brain injuries requiring hospitalization are responsible for about 90 percent of the brain injury medical costs.
Seeking Legal Recourse
A Rhode Island catastrophic injury attorney at Marasco & Nesselbush understands how important it is for a brain injury victim and their family to obtain full and just compensation from those responsible for causing the injury. As a law firm committed to social, economic, and personal justice, our lawyers will help you obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages. While no one can undo the devastating impact of brain injuries, we can help to insure financial compensation and security for you and your family. To learn more about how we can protect your rights, please fill out a contact form or call (401) 274-7400 for a free consultation.
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