How Common Are Brain Injuries?

 Posted on December 31, 2023 in Personal Injury

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost two million people each year suffer some type of brain injury. More than 50,000 of those hurt will die because of their injuries. Children, especially those younger than 5 years of age, teens between the ages of 15 and 19, and seniors who are over the age of 65 are the age groups who are especially at risk of a brain injury caused by an accident. Even a minor injury can leave a person with long-term or chronic health issues. If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury in an accident caused by another party, it is important to speak with an Illinois personal injury lawyer to find out what legal options you may have.

How Do Brain Injuries Happen?

Any type of blow to the head can result in injury to the brain, but statistics show that the following are the most common types of accidents which result in brain injuries:

• Slip and fall accidents – These are the most common types of accidents that cause brain injuries, responsible for almost 40 percent of reported brain injuries. Half of all children younger than 14 sustain brain injuries in slip and fall incidents. More than 80 percent of all reported brain injuries in seniors are the result of slip and fall incidents.

• Blunt trauma – The second most common cause of brain injuries is blunt trauma. This can happen when a person is hit with an object or pushed, and their head impacts a hard object.

• Vehicle accidents – Vehicle accidents are the third most common type of accident that causes injury to the brain; however, they are the second leading cause of all fatal brain injury accidents.

Types of Brain Injuries

There are three different categories of brain injuries:

• Concussion – A concussion can occur when there is any type of sudden movement to the head, which causes violent shaking of the brain and makes it bounce around inside the skull. Two-thirds of all brain injuries are classified as concussions.

• Contusion – If there is some type of blunt trauma or blow to the victim’s head, it can cause a contusion, which can result in bleeding on the brain.

• Coup-Contrecoup – When there is some kind of impact on the head, it can cause the brain to slam into the opposite side of the skull. This is referred to as a coup-contrecoup injury.

How quickly a person recovers and what type of long-term or permanent effects they are left with depends on how severe the brain injury is. The more serious the injury is, the more medical treatments will be required and the longer it will take to recover. In many cases, the person requires long-term or life-long care for the chronic health issues their injury has left them with.

Contact a Lombard, IL Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation

The medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses a brain injury can cause are all damages the at-fault party may be legally responsible for. A DuPage County, IL brain injury lawyer from Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices can evaluate your case to determine what type of financial compensation you may be entitled to. Call 630-932-9100 today to find out what legal recourse is available.