Brain Injuries a Major Focus in March

Posted by copeland on March 26, 2014

If you’ve seen a lot of media about the effects of traumatic brain injuries lately, there’s a good reason. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and TBI attorneys with Orlando’s Todd E. Copeland & Associates want to make sure you know the statistics.

A traumatic brain injury, commonly referred to as TBI, is caused by a blow to, or penetration of the head that disrupts the brain’s normal function. Causes can be as severe as a serious car accident or physical assault, or as simple as a bump on the head from walking into a wall. And the effects can range from mild to debilitating.

In any case, the statistics are alarming:

• 2.4 million people nationwide, including 475,000 children, sustain a TBI each year;
• 5.3 million Americans are living with life-long disability as a result of TBI;
• Of those suffering TBIs each year, 275,000 will be hospitalized and 52,000 will die;
• TBI is a contributing factor to a third of all injury-related deaths in the US annually;
• The top causes of TBIs are falls (35 percent), automobile accidents (17 percent), workplace accidents (16 percent) and physical assaults (10 percent).

As if the physical and medical consequences weren’t enough for a TBI victim to deal with, the ongoing financial costs resulting from an injury can be staggering - upwards of $8,000 per day for average hospital-based acute rehabilitation, up to $2,500 per day for post-acute residential rehab programs, and $1,000 a day for day treatment programs. Collectively, direct medical and indirect costs (including loss of productivity resulting from time away from work) of TBI hit an estimated $76.3 billion each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms of a TBI can range from headaches, dizziness and trouble concentrating to significant loss of coordination, profound confusion or violent seizures. If you believe you’ve sustained a TBI as the result of someone else’s negligence or deliberate action, get medical treatment immediately, even if your symptoms are mild and seem temporary. Then, contact a reputable traumatic brain injury attorney. Orlando’s Todd E. Copeland & Associates has extensive experience in helping TBI victims secure fair compensation for their injury-related losses.