It looks so funny in the cartoons: an animated cat or rabbit gets clobbered on the head with a baseball bat or an anvil, and the audience sees spinning planets or tweeting birds circling the character’s head for a moment.
In real life, anyone who has suffered a sudden blow to the head that caused a flash of light and perhaps a few seconds of disorientation or vertigo can tell you that it isn’t funny at all. Head injuries of this type can be deadly serious.
Traumatic brain injuries (or TBI) pose a grave health threat to Americans.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), in 2014 alone, TBIs:
- Contributed to over 56,800 deaths, including 2,529 children
- Caused over 288,000 hospitalizations
- Created over 2.4 million emergency room visits
The same report notes traffic crashes are the second-leading cause of TBI hospitalizations.
If your brain injury resulted from a South Carolina accident, you've got legal rights you need to know about. We'll answer your questions for free, with no obligation to hire us. Call our Spartanburg accident injury and workers’ comp attorney toll free at 888-230-1841 or fill out a Get Help Now form.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports every brain injury is unique. They vary in degree from mild to severe. Victims can display a range of signs and symptoms.
About Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is any defined as any head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. While the majority of TBIs are mild, and we commonly refer to them as concussions, some are potentially fatal.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), traumatic brain injuries are a significant cause of disability and death in the United States. In fact, they contribute to nearly one-third of all injury deaths according to a 2010 study. Each day in the United States 138 people die from injuries that include traumatic brain injuries, and those lucky enough to survive can face disability that can last several days to the entirety of their lives.
As a result of the extreme severity of these injuries, and their often hidden nature, doctors have developed a number of tests to diagnose brain injuries.
TBI Causes and Effects
Some common causes of TBIs are falls, traffic accidents, and being struck by or struck against an object. The effects of TBI may include impairments in movement; in sensation, such as hearing or vision; in thinking or memory; or in emotional functioning, such as personality changes and depression. This not only affects the individuals who suffer from TBI, but their families and communities as well.
Those suffering from a traumatic brain injury often face enormous medical bills, lost wages due to missed work, permanent impairment, rehabilitative and occupational therapy expenses, and loss of enjoyment of life. If someone else’s negligence has led to a traumatic brain injury for yourself or your loved one, you may be able to recover for the losses that have been suffered. If the TBI results in death brought about by the negligence of another, the family of the deceased may be able to bring a wrongful death or survival action.
If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident or at work, you owe it to yourself to find out your potential rights to legal benefits and financial compensation from an experienced injury attorney. You should also know about our process to get a South Carolina brain injury accident settlement. To start getting answers now, feel free to call us toll free 888-230-1841 or fill out a Get Help Now form.
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