A traumatic brain injury can have devastating consequences. Even minor injuries such as whiplash or a minor concussion can lead to serious problems later on in life, including memory loss, increased chances of Alzheimer’s, and much more. However, despite the serious nature of these injuries, they can come from a wide variety of different causes. The majority of these injuries come from sharp, heavy blows to the head, and that can happen almost anywhere.
To help you be more aware of what may cause an increased chance of a head injury and to help you better prepare to manage the risk, we’ll take a closer look at the five most common causes of traumatic brain injuries, or TBI on this blog.
#5 – Assault
Assault, or when someone deliberately and intentionally causes harm to someone else, either as retribution for something, in an emotional heat, or any other situation, causes a shocking number of brain injuries every year. A sudden sharp blow from a punch or kick to the head can cause not only broken bones and facial fractures, but causes the brain to make an impact with the skull causing bruising and TBI symptoms. Many people are never the same after they’re assaulted, which is one reason why assault is typically a pretty serious criminal charge.
#4 – Contact Sports
Sports and concussions seem to go hand-in-hand, particularly sports that involve direct competition or body-to-body contact. Thousands of high-school students suffer concussions playing football every year, making it by far the worst offender, but sports like soccer, ice hockey, basketball, and even cheerleading all contribute to the number of concussions suffered each year. Young children and adults alike are all not immune from the possibility of suffering a brain injury while participating in these sports.
#3 – Traffic Incidents
Auto accidents, particularly those at higher speeds, are one of the leading causes of brain injuries. In many instances, the violent motion is enough to cause someone’s head to collide with something in the cabin of a vehicle, be it the steering wheel, the dashboard, or something else that might be in the way. However, in the case that your seatbelt catches you, the violent motion of your head jerking forward as the seatbelt restrains the rest of your body is enough force to cause a pretty serious brain injury. The belt may save your life, but that doesn’t mean they prevent you from getting hurt.
#2 – Struck-By Incidents
Someone dropped something out of the attic on your head by accident, what about something falling off the shelf at a grocery store. What about standing up too quickly and slamming your head against a piece of furniture or machinery passing by? These are all examples of a struck-by injury, the second-most common type of injury according to Brainline.org. While these may seem rare, if you think about it, one of these injuries could happen almost anywhere.
#1 – Falls
Falls are the most common source of a brain injury. Whether it’s slipping on an icy walkway, tripping over an unseen extension cord on the ground, or accidentally falling into a trench on a construction site, the act of losing your balance and crashing down to the ground is enough causes nearly half of all traumatic brain injuries reported in the United States every year. Fall injuries also account for the overwhelming majority of injuries among infants, young children, and elderly adults.
Have you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury through no fault of your own? Contact a Waterbury injury attorney from Fitzpatrick, Mariano, Santos, Sousa, P.C. at (203) 583-8299 to request a case evaluation and start reviewing your rights today.