A brain injury can result in both immediate and long-term harm to victims. Annually, 1.1 million Americans are treated in emergency rooms for traumatic brain injuries or TBIs. Additionally, each year, nearly two million adults and children suffer from TBIs. Traumatic brain injuries also lead to a number of deaths annually.
When diagnosing and treating TBIs, doctors use the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) before turning to more advance technology like a CT scan. The GCS allows medical professionals to evaluate the damage to the brain following a head injury. Patients are evaluated based on motor responses, verbal responses and how much effort it takes for them to open their eyes. The patient will be scored according to the coma scale to determine the severity of the injury.
Traumatic brain injuries can occur in a number of different ways. One of the leading causes of TBIs is car accidents, which, are all too common in Oklahoma City. TBIs can result in a number of physical and psychological symptoms, as traumatic brain injuries impact victims physically, emotionally and can also impact the victim’s cognitive abilities. Traumatic brain injuries can impact victims in other ways as well.
Approximately two percent of Americans live with TBI-related disabilities. As a result of the extensive harm TBIs can result in, traumatic brain injuries can be expensive and treatment options can sometimes be somewhat limited but can include various medications, rehabilitation or surgery. It is estimated that the direct and indirect costs of TBIs is in the tens of billions of dollars per year.
Because of the serious, and potentially long-term nature of TBIs, and the physical, emotional and financial costs associated with them, legal options may be available to victims to help them recover damages when they suffer a TBI at the hand of a negligent party.
Source: Medicalnewstoday.com, “What is traumatic brain injury (TBI)? What causes traumatic brain injury?” Accessed on Oct. 4, 2015
