Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the more dangerous head injuries a person can sustain. In the United States, there are about 2 million people who suffer from TBI each year with about 500,000 hospitalized. The incidence of TBI in the US is about 180-250 per 100 thousand people.
There are thousands of TBI and head injury cases filed each year because of the trauma and losses the victims and their families suffer.
But how does TBI happen?
Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBI occurs when the brain is traumatically injured by an outside force. It is usually referred to as head injury but that term can have a broader meaning than TBI. Head injuries may involve other damage to the structure of the brain that is not TBI.
TBIs can be classified through severity; there are mild, moderate and severe categories.
The Glasgow Coma Scale is used for classifying TBI severity through the victim’s level of consciousness.
The symptoms for each level of TBI severity are as follows:
• Mild – A victim loses consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms include, headache, vomiting, uncoordinated motor functions, nausea, imbalance, ringing in ears, weird taste in mouth, blurred vision, fatigue and change in sleep patterns. A victim may also experience confusion and memory trouble.
• Moderate – All symptoms are present and may have increase in effect. The victim may experience increase in headache, vomiting and nausea. The victim may also have convulsions and inability to awaken. Other signs would be dilation of pupils, numbness of limbs, and slurred speech.
• Severe – In severe cases, aside from the above symptoms, the pressure in the skull could significantly increase and could lead to decreased level of consciousness, paralysis and a blown pupil (failure to constrict in response to a light source).
Causes of TBI and Head Injury Cases
TBI and head injuries are commonly caused by the force of impact from a foreign object that may lead to an open or closed wound to the head.
The most common causes are violence and accidents involving sports, vehicles and construction.
According to statistics, 28% of all TBI and head injury cases are caused by slip and falls, 20% by motor vehicle accidents, 19% by being struck with a foreign object like debris in a construction area, 11% by way of violence and 3% because of non-motored vehicles like bicycles.
Preventing TBI and Head Injury Cases
TBI and head injuries are one of the leading causes of death during accidents. In most cases, a victim does not pass away immediately. 40% of victims deteriorate from the injury and it could be days, weeks or months before TBI takes its toll on the patient.
To avoid being a victim of TBI, some safety precautions can be followed to increase your guard against head injuries.
Here are tips to protect yourself and others from sustaining TBI and head injuries:
• Use and add safety features in your vehicle– Since a lot of accidents are caused by vehicles; you prevent injuries by using the seatbelt, installing child safety seats and installing roll bars/cages. People driving a motorcycle or a bicycle should always wear a helmet
• Inspect property for hazards ¬¬– Investigate dangerous areas on your property and take actions to make them safe. Installing hand rails on stairways and bars on windows can prevent falls from elevated heights. Removing trip and slip hazards like rugs and slippery surfaces can reduce accidents in your premises.
• Ensure safety features in construction areas – Inspect scaffoldings and install debris barriers. Equip employees with safety gears like helmets and gloves. Make sure that harnesses and construction elevators are working to make sure that no one falls from elevated heights.
If you are interested in pursuing a TBI and head injury case, seek legal help from a good personal injury lawyer.
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