What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury, commonly referred to as a TBI, occurs when a blow or sudden jolt of the head affects brain function. On average on any given day, 155 people in the United States die from serious head injuries that include TBIs. Over the course of a year, 50,000 people die from a traumatic brain injury. Suffering from a TBI can significantly increase your chances of developing epilepsy, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, among numerous other brain disorders compared to the average population.

TBI is a very serious injury that contributes to nearly one-third of injury related deaths. It often requires extensive medical treatment, therapies, medications, and sometimes even brain surgeries. Even after all of that, many people are still “not the same” after their TBI incident. In fact, 43% of those hospitalized for a traumatic brain injury have a disability one year after the accident. It can be very difficult to cope with the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury because sometimes it can be similar to suffering a stroke.

Traumatic brain injuries are sometimes likened to having a stroke because of all the problems it can cause, depending on the area of the brain that was injured. A severe TBI can cause vision or hearing loss, to the point of becoming blind or deaf. It can make it difficult to process language; this makes it extremely hard to not only understand what someone is saying to you, but also being able to communicate back to them your needs. A TBI can also have effects on your mental health. It can cause anxiety, depression, or even make changes to your personality.

As stated earlier, a traumatic brain injury can happen when there is a force acted upon the head that causes a malfunction of the brain. The leading cause is a terrible fall, usually off of something high. 15.5% are caused by being struck by or against something, classified as unintentional blunt trauma. Right behind getting accidently hit over the head is car accidents. Motor vehicle accidents account for 14.3% of all traumatic brain injuries, however they are also the second leading cause of TBI-related deaths. This means that the brain injury you receive during an accident is much more likely to be a severe TBI. The last thing you need to worry about is remembering anything other than how to live a healthy and happy life. If you need assistance because an accident of some kind caused your traumatic brain injury, we at Heuser & Heuser, L.L.P. want to help get you back to a good place. Give us a call at (719) 520-9909 to schedule your free consultation.