How Common Are Brain Injuries in Virginia Accidents?

One of the most devastating types of accident injuries is a traumatic brain injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1.7million people suffer some type of brain injury every year. More than 50,000 of those victims will die from their injury. The age groups most susceptible to brain injuries are children between the ages of 0 to 4 years, teens between the ages of 15 to 19, and adults over age 65. 

How Do TBIs Occur

Any type of trauma to the head can result in some type of brain injury, however, the majority of TBIs that occur each year are caused by one of the following types of accidents:

• Slip and fall accidents: These types of accidents are the cause of approximately 40 percent of all brain injuries, with both young and older persons at risk. For children 14 years of age or younger, 50 percent of all brain injuries are caused by a fall. For elderly people, that rate spikes to 80 percent.
• Blunt trauma: The second leading cause of brain injuries are blunt traumas. These injuries occur whenever a victim is hit in the head by an object, for example, if a person is participating in an athletic or sporting activity.
• Motor vehicle accidents: The third leading cause of brain injuries are motor vehicle accidents; however, they are the second leading cause of brain injury fatalities.

LEARN MORE

• Children and Serious Head Injuries
• Study: Traumatic Brain Injuries Affect Kids Ten Years Later
• Study: Long-Term Effects of Childhood Brain Injuries

Types of Brain Injuries

There are three different types of brain injuries. How a person heals and what type of permanent damage there may be is often determined by the type and severity of the injury.

A concussion happens when there is sudden movement or impact to the head or it can happen if there is a violent shaking. Concussions are responsible for almost 75 percent of all brain injuries. Two of the most common ways concussions occur is through car crashes and sports activity.

A contusion causes bleeding on the brain and typically happens when there is some type of blunt trauma to a victim’s head. In some cases, surgery may be needed in order to remove the contusion.

The third type of brain injury is called a coup-contrecoup. This happens when the brain is injured at the site of impact and then the brain is slammed into the opposite side of the victim’s skull.

Each of these brain injuries can range anywhere from mild to being so severe the victim dies. Even minor brain injuries can require a long recovery period, with high medical bills and loss of income from being unable to work. If you have been diagnosed with a brain injury from an accident caused by another person’s negligence, contact a Virginia brain injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have for your pain and losses.