Three Myths About Tampa Bay Brain Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injury is caused by an external physical force such as shaking, striking against an object, a fall, or a collision with speed and force according to The Center on Brain Injury Research[1] and Training.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that an estimated 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury [2] (TBI) annually.

Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States

  • 52,000 individuals die from TBI
  • 275,000 individuals are hospitalized
  • 365 million are treated and released from the emergency department
  • TBI is a contributing factor to a third of all injury-related deaths in the United States

Additionally, about 75% of TBIs that occur each year are from concussions or other forms of mild traumatic brain injury.  The CDC also reports that automobile accidents are the leading cause of TBI-related deaths with the rates being highest for individuals aged 20-24 years old.

Traumatic brain injury.com LLC., is an internet resource for education, advocacy, research and support for brain injury survivors [3], their families as well as medical professionals.  Their research indicates that more than half of all reported traumatic brain injuries are the result of an automobile accident. A traumatic brain injury can occur as a result of any force that penetrates or fractures the skull; areas which are susceptible during an auto accident.  Trauma to the brain can occur during an automobile accident when the skull strikes an object like a steering wheel or windshield.  There may or may not be an open wound to the skull due to the accident, however in automobile accidents, the skull may not necessarily need to have been penetrated or fractured for a traumatic brain injury to occur.  In the case of an automobile accident the sheer force of the accident can cause the brain to collide against the internal hard bone of the skull. This can cause bruising of the brain (referred to as a contusion) and bleeding (brain hemorrhage) which may not be visible at the time of injury.

Blunt trauma is a more serious type of head injury that can occur in an automobile accident when a moving head strikes a stationary object like the windshield, where the head is impacted causing an open wound which can be sustained from a variety of sources such as roof crush or occupant ejection in a car accident.

Myths About TBI

Even with the high number of TBI injuries that occur each year, there are still numerous myths and misunderstandings about these serious injuries:

  1. Tests Will Detect Traumatic Brain Injury. There is no one single test that can detect traumatic brain injury.  Although medical tests such as MRI and CT scans can be helpful, neither can confirm damage or injury to axons and neurons in the brain.
  2. You Must Hit Your Head. It is not necessary for your head to hit against an external object in order to receive a brain injury.  In a severe car crash, for example, the force of the collision may cause your brain to become injured from moving within the skull.
  3. All People with TBI Recover. In some instances, TBI is a permanent and disabling injury which affects a person’s ability to maintain employment and/or family relationships.  The damages that a person can suffer as a result of such a disabling injury should be reviewed with a brain injury attorney.

No one expects to be involved in an automobile accident or to become injured, but if you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, you need to someone who stands up for you, protects your rights and fights for what is fair.  Contact an experienced Tampa Bay accident attorney who will assist you in determining if you are entitled to compensatory damages for your injuries from those responsible.  These damages may include the cost of medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Victims may also be entitled to punitive damages, which are designed to punish those responsible.

At the Dolman Law Group in Clearwater, Florida, our team of highly skilled automobile accident lawyers have successfully helped many accident victims obtain the recovery they deserve for their injuries and related losses. Please call our office at 727-451-6900 today.

Dolman Law Group
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-451-6900

https://www.dolmanlaw.com/legal-services/brain-injury-attorneys/

References:

[1] http://cbirt.org/tbi-education/about-tbi/general-information-about-tbi/#typesTBI
[2] http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/BlueBook_factsheet-a.pdf
[3] http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/understanding-tbi/car-accident-tbi/

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