One of the most serious types of injuries you can sustain in an accident involves a brain injury. Traumatic brain injury can be caused by a blow or any other traumatic injury to the head or body. The degree of damage can depend on several factors, including the nature of the event and the force of the impact.
Many different types of accidents can cause brain injuries. According to a study conducted by the Atlanta Nation Center for Injury Prevention and Control, approximately 280,000 people in the United States sustain motor vehicle induced traumatic brain injuries every year.
The Common Accidents That Result in Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury can occur as a result of any force to the skull. Common accidents that result in brain injuries include:
- Slip and fall accidents.Slip, trip and fall accidents are a common cause of traumatic brain injuries, especially amongst the elderly and young children. Examples of these types of accidents include: slipping at a grocery store, slipping on snow or ice, tripping or falling at apartment complexes, tripping on cracked sidewalks; falls during construction work.
- Automobile collisions.Accidents involving automobiles, motorcycles or bicycles, as well as pedestrians involved in these types of accidents, are also a common cause of traumatic brain injury.
- Violence, such as gunshot wounds and child abuse, also accounts for a large portion of traumatic brain injuries.
- Sports related injuries.Sports injuries, such as soccer, football and boxing, can cause traumatic brain injuries, particularly amongst the youth.
How Common Is a Traumatic Brain Injury
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year more than 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries occur in the United States. In fact, the CDC accounts that this type of injury is a contributing factor in about one-third of all fatal accidents.
However, as common as this injury may be, the signs and symptoms may not be as easily detected. As such, it is imperative that you immediately seek medical treatment if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident and you suspect that you suffered a head injury. Common symptoms or signs of a brain injury may include:
- Unconsciousness
- Blurry vision
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Ringing the ears
- Trouble speaking coherently
- Major changes in emotions and sleep patterns
- Confusion and disorientation
- Inability to remember the cause of the accident that caused the injury
Call Us Today
If you or a loved one has been injured and suffered a resulting brain injury in an accident that was caused by the negligent or reckless actions of another party, it is important to immediately consult with a brain injury attorney as you may be entitled to compensation. For more information or to consult with one of our experienced New York brain injury attorneys, please call Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. at 1-800-529-9997.
