Traumatic Brain Injuries: Statistics

Traumatic Brain Injuries: Statistics

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) cause a significant number of deaths and permanent disabilities every year. TBIs are typically caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that causes a disruption of normal brain function. A TBI can be diagnosed as mild all the way up to severe with lasting effects. Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity due to TBI totaled about 60 Billion dollars in 2000 alone.

If you or a loved one was the victim of a Traumatic Brain Injury because of another’s negligence, seek the help of a personal injury lawyer who may be able to help fight for the compensation you deserve.

Traumatic Brain Injuries: Statistics

Note that there is no data or estimate on the number of people who sustain a non-fatal TBI but who do not seek treatment at an emergency department or who seek no treatment at all.

• Approximately 1.7 million people sustain a TBI every year. Of these people:
  • 52,000 die,
  • 275,000 are hospitalized, and
  • 365 million, (almost 80 percent) are treated and released from an emergency department.
• TBI contributes to just over one third (30.5 percent) of all injury-related deaths in the United States.
• Thankfully, approximately three quarters of traumatic brain injuries are low in severity and include injuries such as mild concussions.

TBI Broken Down by Age

• The age groups most likely to incur a TBI are children aged 0 to 4 years; older adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and adults aged 65 years and older.
• Children aged 0 to 14 years account for about half a million visits to the emergency department for TBIs each year.
• Adults aged 75 years and older have the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalization and death.

TBI Broken Down by Sex

• In every age group, the rates of TBI are higher for males than for females.
• Infant and young males aged 0 to 4 years experience the highest rates of TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths combined.

Leading Causes of TBI

• The number one cause of TBI is falling, which is most seen in children aged 0 to 4 years and in seniors aged 75 years and older.
• Falls are also responsible for the most TBI-related emergency department visits (523,043) and hospitalizations (62,334).
• Motor vehicle and traffic injuries are the leading cause of TBI-related death.
  • Rates are highest for adults aged 20 to 24 years.

If you or a loved one were injured in an accident, you have enough to deal with. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!