In the United Stated each year, 30 percent of all injury-related deaths are caused by traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[1], which totaled more than 50,000 deaths in 2010 alone.
The CDC estimates that 2.5 million people sought treatment for, were hospitalized for, or died from effects from TBIs in 2010 – a 70 percent increase in emergency room visits and 11 percent increase in hospitalization rates from 2001. Death rates were the only statistic to decrease over that time, but even then there were only 7 percent fewer TBI-related deaths in 2001 than there were in 2010. While TBIs can lead to death, even non-fatal TBIs can lead to permanent disabilities or have significant effects for several weeks following an injury.
According to statistics collected by the CDC between 2006 and 2010, the most common causes of TBIs are
- Motor Vehicle Collisions: Over 14 percent of all TBIs in the United States were caused by motor vehicle collisions, but were the second leading cause of TBI-related fatalities, resulting in 26 percent of deaths.
- Falls: Over 40 percent of all TBIs in the United States were caused by falls. That number is higher for both children 14 years old and under – falls accounted for 55 percent of all TBIs in this age group – and adults 65 years old and up – a staggering 81 percent of all TBIs in this age group were caused by falls.
- Blunt-Force Trauma: Over 15 percent of all TBIs in the United States were caused by blunt-force trauma – being hit in the head by an object like falling debris, head-to-head contact, head-to-unidentified object contact, etc. This type of injury was also responsible for 24 percent of TBIs in children 14 years old and under.
- Assault / Violence: Over 10 percent of all TBIs in the United States were caused by assaults, including domestic violence, shootings, etc. Assault / violence only accounted for about 3 percent of TBIs in children 14 years old and under, and less than 1.5% of TBIs in adults 65 years old and up. 75 percent of assaults / violence resulting in a TBI affected people between the ages of 15 and 44.
- Unknown / Other: The remaining 19 percent of TBIs were caused by unknown reasons, or some other reason not listed here.
Not only were falls the most common causes of TBIs between 2006 and 2010, they were also accounted for the largest number of TBI-related deaths among adults 65 years old and up, while motor vehicle collisions accounted for the largest number of TBI-related deaths among people between the ages of 5 and 24.
TBIs can cause devastating and permanent injury and disability. If you or a loved one suffered a TBI caused by someone else’s wrongdoing or negligent behavior, contact the traumatic brain injury attorneys at Power Rogers today. Our Chicago traumatic brain injury lawyers are ready to fight for your rights with the skill experience that our clients have come to expect. Call us at 312-500-1792 to set up a meeting with one of our attorneys, or fill out our online form for a free case evaluation.
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[1]
http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html