What Causes Most Traumatic Brain Injuries?
There are over 1.5 million people who suffer TBIs every year in the U.S.—and over 64,000 people lost their lives to traumatic head injuries in 2020 alone.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused when a forceful bump or blow strikes the head or when an object penetrates the skull and pierces the brain. A traumatic brain injury can be categorized as a mild TBI, a moderate TBI, or a severe TBI. There are multiple causes of TBIs, and many of them are completely preventable.
Below, we’ll examine what causes most traumatic brain injuries.
The ways a brain injury can affect your life are innumerable. If your or a loved one’s brain injury happened because someone else was negligent, the at-fault party is responsible for your losses. Victims of a TBI may suffer losses as extreme as the capacity to hold gainful employment and live independently. Medical bills, lost wages, caregiving costs, transportation costs, and other financial expenses are common.
Please contact Prince Law Firm to learn more about your legal options in a situation like this. A free case consultation is available to brain injury victims in Marion, IL and the surrounding areas.
Top Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
According to CDC data, the following four incident types cause most traumatic brain injuries in the United States:
- Falls (the most common cause of traumatic head injury)
- Motor vehicle collisions (the second leading cause of TBI)
- Physical assault
- Gunshot wounds
Self-inflicted gunshot wounds are currently the most common cause of TBI-related death in the United States. Every one of these deaths was preventable. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a mental health crisis, please encourage them to reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or another suicide prevention resource and talk to a trusted listener.
In addition to these top four causes of TBI injuries and deaths, other common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Sports injuries
- Motorcycle accidents
- Natural disasters
- Explosions
- Defective protective headgear
- Workplace accidents
- Construction site accidents
- Recreation accidents
Two Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries With Different Causes
There are two main types of traumatic brain injuries that can have different causes.
A non-penetrating TBI (also called a closed head injury or blunt TBI) is generally what most people think of as the more common type of traumatic head injury. This type of TBI is the result of a hard blow to the head, such as in a fall, contact sports injury, or car accident. The impact of the external force is strong enough that the brain is jostled inside the skull, striking the interior walls of the cranium. This can lead to bruising and torn or broken blood vessels.
A penetrating TBI (or open TBI) is the result of an object impaling the skull and damaging the brain inside. Penetrating TBIs can range from mild to fatal. While it may sound more serious to have an object enter the brain than to merely receive a blow to the head, penetrating TBIs can actually be less serious in many cases because only one small part of the brain is affected.
Penetrating TBIs are most often caused by one of these objects:
- Bullets
- Hammers, nails, and other tools common on job sites
- Shrapnel or shell fragments
- Debris from an explosion
- Pieces of the skull that enter the brain after head trauma
- Knives and other weapons used in an assault
Signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury
The symptoms a person suffering from a TBI exhibits vary depending on the severity of the injury. There are a range of physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms you should look for if someone you know suffered trauma to the head. Keep in mind that these symptoms often differ from person to person and are also dependent upon age and other factors.
Mild TBI Symptoms
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Slurred speech
- Sleep disturbances
- Anxiousness or confusion
Moderate to Severe TBI Symptoms
In addition to the symptoms associated with a mild TBI, those suffering a moderate to severe TBI may also show signs of:
- Extended loss of consciousness
- Ongoing nausea and vomiting
- Seizures or convulsions
- Clear fluids leaking from the nose and/or ears
- Inability to answer simple questions
- Extreme confusion and agitation
- Memory loss
- Coma
TBI Symptoms in Children
Young children may not have the ability to communicate the pain or sensations they are experiencing following a head injury. It’s critical that you keep a close watch on your child in the hours and days after an injury incident. Call a doctor immediately if you have any concerns that your child may be suffering the effects of a TBI.
Symptoms of a TBI in children often include:
- Persistent crying
- Changes in feeding or eating habits
- Irritability
- Inability to focus or pay attention
- Seizures
- Changes in emotions and behaviors
Help for Victims of Preventable TBIs in Illinois
Knowing what causes most traumatic brain injuries can help you and your family act with extra caution in the future. But even with diligence and care, not all TBIs can be prevented. When another person is careless or reckless, there is often nothing you can do to stop the harm they cause.
If you, a child, or another family member were injured or killed in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, you have legal options for recovery. A free case evaluation at Prince Law Firm personal injury office in Marion, IL will give you all the information you need to make a decision about the best path to recovery for you.
We take most cases on a contingency fee basis, so there are no legal fees until we win your case for you. If we are successful in helping you recover a settlement or verdict, our fee will come as a small percentage of your financial award amount. Call today to begin a conversation with a knowledgeable and compassionate Illinois traumatic brain injury lawyer.