According to the Brain Injury Association of America, every year 1.4 million people sustain a brain injury and 50,000 people die from one. Over 5.3 million people in the US live with disabilities that resulted from an injury to the brain. A brain injury, traumatic brain injury, or head injury can all cause serious and irreversible damage to the brain and the entire body.

Traumatic brain and head injuries occur every 23 seconds as the result of auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, firearms, falls, diving and swimming, construction site accidents, athletic endeavors, and physical violence.

Specific causes of a brain injury:

• An outside force impacts the head hard enough to cause the brain to move within the skull.
• A direct force to the head that breaks the skull and directly injures the brain. This type of injury can occur from motor vehicle accidents, firearms, falls, sports, and physical violence.
• A rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head can force the brain to move back and forth across the inside of the skull. The stress from the rapid movements pulls apart nerve fibers and causes damage to brain tissue. This type of injury often occurs as a result of car crashes.

Definition of Brain Injury:
Traumatic brain injury is an insult to the brain, not of a degenerative or congenital nature but caused by an external physical force, that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning. These impairments may be either temporary or permanent and may cause partial or total functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment. Adopted by the Brain Injury Association Board of Directors.

No two brain injuries are the same. Because the brain and nervous system are so complex, an injury to that area of the body is complex as well. The severity, location, and cause of the injury can create various effects in different people. Brain injuries affect how a person acts, thinks, feels, and moves. They can also affect the internal functions of the body such as body temperature and blood pressure. These effects result in a dramatic change of existence for the individual and everyone in the individual’s life.

The long term effects of brain injuries can be physically and emotionally disabling and can result in a loss of wages, loss of quality of life, or in some cases wrongful death. Emotional, physical, psychological and financial changes can be devastating for everyone in the family. Medical expenses and insurance claims can cause further emotional stress and problems.