March: Brain Injury Awareness Month
The month of March has officially been deemed as Brain Injury Awareness Month by the Brain Injury Association of America. This organization is made up of affiliates from all fifty states, who are using this month network and help educate people of about different brain injuries. Throughout the month of Marh, the Brain Injury Association is planning to host several events and initiatives in honor of brain injury victims. According to their statistics, there are more than 1.7 million people throughout the United States who suffer from a brain injury on an annual basis. Out of those 1.7 million, 375,000 of those are small children. Brain injuries are some of the more severe and catastrophic injuries that you can sustain because they can easily leave permanent damage. In fact, studies show that approximately 3 million people have suffered brain injuries that left them disabled for life.
Causes of Brain Injuries
A large amount of brain injuries are usually sustained in automobile traffic accidents, particularly in motorcycle accidents where the rider was not wearing a helmet. Slip and fall accidents however, seem to be the leading, most common cause for brain injuries. To break it down for you percentage wise, the causes of brain injuries are as follows:
- 35% slip & fall accidents
- 17% car accidents
- 16% workplace accidents
- The remaining is from violent assaults & miscellaneous incidents
The causes of brain injuries can also be separated into two separate categories, there are traumatic brain injuries and acquired brain injuries. The examples above are all referred to as traumatic brain injuries because they resulted from a direct blow to the head or a force strong enough to rupture the skull and injure the brain. There are other brain injuries however, that are acquired on a cellular level. These are not genetic or sustained at birth, but rather they caused affected brain cells. Acquired brain injuries could be caused by:
- Near drowning
- choking/airway obstruction
- electric shock/lightning strike
- head/neck trauma
- blood loss
- heart attack
- stroke
- aneurysm
- seizure
Diagnosing Brain Injuries
Recognizing a brain injury is not always a simple task because every case is unique. No brain injury is ever identical with another, but doctors are usually able to identify the common side effects. Even mild to moderate brain injuries can have lifelong consequences. It is not uncommon for a brain injury victim to have frequent concussions, problems concentrating, memory impairment and other cognitive issues. Brain injuries are also known to be some of the most expensive injuries to treat. Victims of brain injuries could pay thousands of dollars in rehabilitation a day! According to the Centers for Disease Control, brain injury medical expenses can reach more than $76 billion in any given year.
If you have sustained a serious brain injury, you could be facing steep medical expenses and potential lifelong treatment costs. Speak with an Oklahoma City brain injury attorney at our firm today to about financial recovery.