When looking at disabilities in the United States, you’ll find that brain injuries are one of the top reasons people cite. This is because brain injuries do not always heal, and the ramifications often last for life. While physical injuries may heal, people could still deal with mental and cogitative ramifications from the brain injury itself.
With these types of drastic changes to a person’s life, it is wise to know what risk factors to watch out for, and that starts with understanding how serious brain injuries happen. The leading causes are:
- Falls
- Being struck by an object
- Being struck against an object
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Intentional self-harm and suicide attempts
You can break all of those top causes down a bit farther. For instance, here are some key facts about fall-related TBIs:
- When looking at TBIs that led to a trip to the ER, about 48% came from falls.
- Older adults and children face extra high risks.
- When looking at kids up to 17 years old, about 49% of emergency hospital visits for TBIs happened because of falls.
- When looking at adults who are at least 65 years old, about 81% of ER visits for TBIs happened due to falls, or about four out of every five visits.
This helps to show you how these injuries happen and who faces the greatest risks, but that does not mean you won’t suffer a TBI and become disabled, or that it won’t happen to a loved one. Knowing the risks is not always enough to avoid them. Make sure you also know what legal options you have.