What Is the Current Frequency of Traumatic Brain Injury in the U.S. ?
That’s a question that doesn’t really have a simple answer. There are various classifications of traumatic brain injury, and classification is determined by the acute injury circumstances. Was the victim of the traumatic brain injury rendered unconscious? Did they have amnesia, and for how long did they have amnesia, both before and after the injury? That system is a very old classification system. In its mildest form, you have brain injury that is often identified as concussion, and we really don’t know how many people suffer concussions because they fall at home, or playing sports, or because they are in circumstances where the injury is not reported or treated.
The data that’s accumulated by the United States Center for Disease Control reports statistics based on emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths, but that data must under-report the frequency of TBIs. We don’t know the statistics for patients who suffer head injuries but who either fail to seek treatment or who are treated at a primary care physician’s office, a walk-in clinic or a pediatrician’s office. The actual statistics are really difficult to quantify.
Is There a Particular Age Group or Gender That Sustains These Injuries More Often Than Others?
If we’re talking about the global picture of head injury of all severities, we see the greatest frequency in children, teenage boys, young men, and the elderly.
When Someone Comes to Visit a Lawyer for Brain Injury, in What Condition Are They?
Brain injuries are scary, and we see all types of cases. I receive calls that someone has suffered a traumatic brain injury and is in a coma at one of the hospitals. I have had occasions in which I have been called to hospitals to meet family members of an injured person in the waiting room outside the intensive care unit to give them advice about what to do.
I have received calls from family members about someone who has been in a motor vehicle accident and has already received acute hospital care and has been transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. I’ve received calls from people who have been in motor vehicle accidents, who have experienced falls, who have lost consciousness and are having difficulty because their symptoms aren’t going away.
I see people who are absolutely petrified that they are not going to get better. I see people who cannot efficiently function in activities of daily living, or in their occupation, or in school, and I field a variety of questions about what to do about continuation of school and the availability of support services including tutors and protections available at work. There is an almost endless list of obstacles for people who have suffered brain injuries, so it is difficult to provide a thorough response to the question. The issues will vary depending upon the age, economic status, the scope of the consequences of the brain injury (physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral injuries) and the intra-dayfamily dynamics.
I also get frequent calls from people who are already represented by lawyers who may not have the knowledge and background to provide adequate representation for the nature of the injuries involved. Clients should understand that they have the right to switch lawyers at virtually any time following the beginning of representation. Clients are better off retaining competent counsel from the outset, but in certain circumstances, a claim can be salvaged and the Bar Association has established a method for resolving a division of attorneys’ fees.
If you have been Involved in an Accident Causing Traumatic Brain Injury, call Stewart Casper at Casper & de Toledo LLC in Stamford, CT for a free initial consultation at (203) 325-8600 and get the information and legal representation you’re seeking and deserve.
