| Over 50,000 people die each year from brain injuries | | | | vascular disruption, heart attack, aneurysm, brain |
| and 80,000 to 90,000 more can expect to experience | | | | tumors or toxic exposure. |
| long-term disabilities because of a brain injury. It is | | | | All brain injuries are potentially very serious and require |
| estimated that 5.3 million Americans currently live with | | | | immediate medical attention. For some people the |
| disabilities due a brain injury. | | | | injury may be slight and only cause temporary |
| Brain injuries often go undiagnosed because they are | | | | discomfort like headaches or nausea and balance |
| easily missed by MRIs and CT scans. Some of the | | | | problems. Others, however, face life-long complications |
| symptoms like behavioral problems, emotional | | | | such as behavioral or cognitive problems or even |
| problems and personality changes are not readily | | | | coma. Some even die from brain injury. |
| recognized as a brain injury. As such, brain injuries are | | | | There are ways to protect yourself from brain injury |
| the number one cause of death and disability in children | | | | and while the following tips may seem simple, they |
| and young adults. | | | | could save your life or the life of another. |
| There are two main types of brain injury that are not | | | | 1. Always wear a seatbelt and insist that others riding |
| congenital: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired | | | | in your vehicle wear them too. |
| brain injury. Traumatic brain injury involves an external | | | | 2. Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. |
| blow to the head hard enough that the brain hits the | | | | 3. Keep firearms unloaded and locked in a gun safe or |
| inside of the skull and is injured. Following is not an | | | | cabinet. |
| exhaustive list but are some examples of incidents | | | | 4. Always wear a helmet when participating in sports |
| that can cause TBI: | | | | where injury is possible. |
| · Car accidents | | | | Sometimes brain injuries can't be avoided but aren't the |
| · Skiing accidents | | | | fault of anyone in particular. But other times these |
| · Assault | | | | devastating consequences are brought on by the fault |
| · Sports injuries | | | | or negligence of another, such as in road accidents, |
| · Shaken baby syndrome | | | | medical malpractice, or faulty devices. |
| Acquired brain injuries result from metabolic changes | | | | "An attorney that specializes in brain injury cases can |
| to the function of the brain. These can be caused by | | | | help you decide if someone else was at fault for your |
| lack of oxygen or lack of blood flow to the brain from | | | | injuries and if you can receive compensation to help |
| accidents such as near-drowning, choking, strangulation, | | | | with medical bills and other financial needs," says Brian |
| electrical shock, trauma to the head or neck, shock, | | | | J. Glick of the Glick Law Firm in Boca Raton, FL. |