While looking around the Internet this morning we stumbled upon a great Q&A article on The Washington Post’s website with Dr. David Williamson. Dr. Williamson is the director of the Inpatient Traumatic Brain Injury unit at National Naval Medical Center. Being a personal injury law firm, we see a wide range of injuries. Brain injuries are without a doubt among some of the most complex injuries we see. As the Brain Injury Association of America states:
- No two brain injuries are exactly the same
- The effects of a brain injury are complex and vary greatly from person to person
- The effects of a brain injury depend on such factors as cause, location, and severity
The brain is not always able to get back to where it was before an accident occurred. Again, from the Brain Injury Association of America:
When a brain injury occurs, the functions of the neurons, nerve tracts, or sections of the brain can be affected. If the neurons and nerve tracts are affected, they can be unable or have difficulty carrying the messages that tell the brain what to do. This can change the way a person thinks, acts, feels, and moves the body. Brain injury can also change the complex internal functions of the body, such as regulating body temperature; blood pressure; bowel and bladder control. These changes can be temporary or permanent. They may cause impairment or a complete inability to perform a function.
Following are statistics on Traumatic Brain Injuries in the United States from 2002-06:
- An estimated 1.7 million people sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) annually
- 0-4 years old, 15-19 years old and 65 and older are the age groups most likely to sustain a TBI.
- Males are more likely to sustain TBI than females.
- Falls (35.3%), Motor Vehicle Accident (17.3%) and Struck by/ against (16.5) are the leading external causes of TBI
All Stats taken from the Center for Disease Control Prevention.
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