Three of the most serious injuries that lead to personal injury lawsuits are traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), and bone fractures. Read on for an overview of all 3.
Traumatic Brain Injury
TBIs can occur when someone’s head is hit, bumped, or jostled severely. If this occurs, the brain can be bumped and jostled severely as well. As a result, those affected can suffer multiple symptoms, ranging from unconsciousness and memory loss to blurred vision. These symptoms can last just a few minutes or be long term and permanent. Causes can range from a tackle in football to a car crash or falling on a sidewalk.
A concussion is a form of TBI.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 30% of all injury-related fatalities stem from TBIs. Roughly 153 Americans die daily due to TBIs. About 2.8 million people went to emergency departments, were hospitalized, or died due to TBI-related symptoms in 2013. The number of people going to emergency departments alone rose 47% between 2007 and 2013.
For children 14 or younger and adults 65 or older, falls are the leading cause of TBIs. Being hit by or thrown against an object is the second leading cause of TBIs, for all age groups. Vehicle accidents are the third leading cause, again, for all age groups.
Spinal Cord Injury
SCIs occur when the spinal cord is injured in some way. The spinal cord affects the nervous system and muscles. Injuries to spinal cords can result in symptoms from full immobility of the body (paralysis) to trouble moving arms or legs to loss of control over bodily functions.
Worldwide, from a quarter million to half a million people suffer SCIs each year.
Unfortunately, 90% of those are due to traumatic causes, such as falls, vehicle crashes, or other accidents. They are preventable.
SCIs also result in long-term health effects. People with SCI are from 2 to 5 times more likely to die than those who don’t have an SCI. They may be prone to chronic infections, need a caregiver, and be in chronic pain.
Bone Fractures
While bone fractures are less life-threatening and life impairing than either TBI or SCI, they are also caused by trauma, such as a fall or a vehicle accident.
Despite this, they can require extensive medical treatment, especially if the fracture is complicated or the bone doesn’t set correctly. Fractures can require physical therapy to regain the full use of affected areas.
Treatment and a fracture can also cause people to lose time from work and thus result in economic loss. Fractures can also damage the patient’s ability to perform the activities of daily life.
People have, on average, 2 fractures in a lifetime.
Speak with a Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer
If you or a loved one has experienced one of these three injuries, a seasoned Louisiana personal injury lawyer can help. For your convenience, Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers has offices in both Baton Rouge and Lafayette, LA. We assist both people who are long-time residents of our communities and out-of-state residents who need advice on Louisiana law.
Our initial consultation on your case will happen at no cost to you. Call or contact me online today.
Additional serious injury resources:
- Spinal Cord Injury. World Health Organization. November 2013. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs384/en/
- Understanding Bone Fractures. The Basics. WebMed. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-fractures-basic-information
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion. Basic Information. TBI: Get the Facts. https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
