By Kevin Duffan, Brain Injury Attorney

Health professionals are joining forces this month to raise awareness of traumatic brain injury (TBI) during Brain Injury Awareness Month.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.7 million Americans sustain a TBI, including concussions, each year. Of those individuals, 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.4 million are treated and released from an emergency department.

Most people with a TBI recover quickly and fully. But for some people, symptoms can last for days, weeks, or longer. And in severe cases, a TBI can lead to coma and even death.

the CDC has joined forces with its partners to highlight the dangers of a TBI. It provides advice on the danger signs when to seek immediate medical attention.

Victims may also need expert advice on when to seek legal action.

Brain injuries are some of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed types of personal injuries cases that we see from a legal standpoint. Traumatic brain injury lawsuits can also be some of the most challenging personal injury cases to litigate.

Traumatic brain injuries can be devastating and have a permanent effect on victims’ lives. They are also more prevalent than commonly believed. About two million people are affected by a traumatic brain injury every year.

About 300,000 of these injuries require hospitalization, with 100,000 incurring lasting disabilities and 60,000 dying from the injury.

A head injury can cost a victim up to $4 million during a lifetime of care. A shocking $48.3 billion is spent as a direct and indirect result of traumatic brain injuries.

Thirty-four percent of deaths from injury are caused by traumatic brain injury.

The majority of TBI injuries are caused by car accidents (28%) and almost half of traumatic brain injuries that need medical attention are caused by car crashes (49%). Sports cause another 20 percent while assaults cause another ten percent.

Five to ten percent of head injuries are the result of a skiing accident.

Brain injuries caused by firearms has risen by 13 percent.

Our attorneys are experts in dealing with traumatic brain injuries. In January this year we negotiated a settlement in the case of a 9-year-old child who suffered a concussion injury in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) after the car he was a passenger in was hit by a drunk driver charged with her second DUI offense.

See this video on Brain Injury Awareness Month.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law, and we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office  in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Furthermore, we proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company who caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.