Since they are “invisible” injuries, it’s often easy for people to overlook just how common brain injuries are in day-to-day life. Sometimes, even the people who suffer from these injuries do not know that it happened. A concussion is a TBI, for instance, but people may feel better the next day and assume that blow to the head wasn’t serious. In actuality, they suffered a brain injury and just didn’t know it.
Of course, in more serious cases, it’s more obvious. Brain injuries can lead to:
- Cognitive impairment
- Emotional changes
- Personality changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sensory loss, such as hearing loss or vision loss
- Loss of memory
- Loss of skills
- Mobility issues
- And much more
Doctors will be quick to tell you that brain injuries are all a bit different. They can change depending on the person, the severity, the location, how quickly someone gets treatment and other such factors. Healing is also different for everyone.
How often do they happen?
Because of the reasons noted above, especially with people assuming they have not been injured when they have, it’s sometimes hard to track the statistics. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have noted that TBI rates are increasing and that more than 150 people pass away from brain injuries every single day. In one study, the CDC claimed that almost 3 million emergency room visits happened because of TBIs.
This gives you some idea of how common these incidents are. Every day, thousands of people suffer injuries and hundreds pass away. Many more do not seek treatment, even though the cumulative impact of repeated injuries can be significant. TBIs can lead to permanent disabilities and life-altering issues that may not ever be completely cured or eliminated.
Seeking treatment and legal assistance
If you suffer a TBI in a car accident or any other such event, the first thing you need to do is seek proper medical treatment. After that, you need to look into all of your legal rights to financial compensation.