Common Causes of Brain Injuries
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million individuals sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI)1 on an annual basis in the United States. Just as the signs and symptoms of TBI can vary widely from case to case, so can the causes of TBI. Many victims sustain brain injuries in accidents caused by the negligence of others. The following are only some examples of common causes of TBI that can lead to personal injury claims.
Falls – Falls are the number one cause of traumatic brain injury in the U.S. TBI can result from many different types of falls, including falls out of windows, falls down stairs, falls from ladders or other heights, or even from a slip and fall accident. During a fall, victims often have little control over how they land and they often hit their head on either the ground or a nearby object.
Motor vehicle accidents – Accidents involving different types of motor vehicles are another major cause of brain injuries. Victims of car, truck, or motorcycle accidents often hit their heads in the process of the collision. Even if they do not suffer direct head trauma, the jolt of the impact may be enough to result in injury to the brain from colliding against the side of the skull.
Bicycle accidents – Despite the growing popularity of preventing head injuries by wearing bicycle helmets, many bicycle victims still sustain serious TBIs if they crash. Helmets can only provide so much protection and a particularly severe collision can result in injury despite a helmet. Additionally, helmets can be defective and may not provide the necessary protection to avoid a TBI.
Pedestrian accidents – Unlike motorists and bicyclists, pedestrian often have no car, helmet, or other safety protections in the event of a collision. Pedestrians also often suffer many points of impact as the may hit a car, and object, and then the ground. For this reason, there are many opportunities for a pedestrian to suffer head trauma and sustain a brain injury.
Falling objects – If an object is not properly securing or handled at heights and it falls down, it may often land on an individual standing underneath and may cause serious brain trauma. In such cases, the property owner or another party who negligently failed to secure the object may be held liable for this type of accident.
Sports injuries – Traumatic brain injuries are particularly common in contact sports such as boxing, football, and hockey. In fact, many former professional sports players have sued their leagues2 for negligently hiding the dangers of brain injuries and encouraging the type of play that may lead to additional TBI. While not all sports injuries are recoverable, victims of sports-related TBI may recover if a coach or league failed to provide adequate safety equipment, failed to provide proper medical attention, or told a player to return to the field after a blow to the head. This is especially the case in youth sports leagues in which the players may not be aware of the risks of TBI at all.
Defective products – Many different types of products can be defective or dangerous and result in TBI to consumers. Specifically, products meant for infants and young children can often cause brain injuries if they malfunction. This is because many defects cause products such as cribs, changing tables, strollers, and other support systems to fail and then the child will uncontrollably fall to the ground, often hitting their head. Manufacturers that sell such defective products should be held accountable through products liability3 principles.
Call an experienced Tampa brain injury attorney for help today
The above are only some examples of the many common causes of traumatic brain injury. TBI victims deserve to fully recover from any party that acted in a negligent manner and contributed to your injury. At the Dolman Law Group in Tampa Bay, Florida, we are dedicated to assisting victims of preventable brain injuries receive the highest amount of compensation possible in their particular case. We offer free case evaluations and are available to help you, so please call today at 727-451-6900.
Dolman Law Group
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-451-6900
https://www.dolmanlaw.com/legal-services/brain-injury-attorneys/
References:
1http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/BlueBook_factsheet-a.pdf
2http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/22/us/nfl-concussion-lawsuit-settlement/
3https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/Products_liability
