One of the most devastating injuries suffered by those in auto accidents is a closed-head injury. Approximately 200 instances of these injuries annually occur for every 100,000 individuals here in the United States.
That rate means that over 570,000 Americans will suffer closed-head injuries this year. Of that total, roughly 15 percent, or 85,500, will not survive leaving the emergency room. That’s a sobering statistic.
Traumatic injuries lead to the causes of death for kids and adults under 46. In a full quarter of these traumas, head injuries are immediately fatal. It’s a fact that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have higher mortality rates than trauma to other parts of the body.
Auto accidents are the number one cause of closed head injuries in teens and young adults. In many cases — 38 percent — drug and alcohol usage is a contributing factor for severe head trauma in patients.
If you are involved in an auto accident this winter and suffer a closed head injury, it’s imperative to seek immediate medical aid. There is often a lucid interval for the patient where they are able to talk coherently and even walk and move around normally. But during this brief period, tremendous damage is occurring inside the skull to the fragile brain tissue.
It’s being squeezed tightly, and this compression must be immediately alleviated before the person succumbs to their injuries. They will soon fall into a coma from which they may never awaken unless a surgical procedure is performed immediately to lessen the pressure.
If you get into an auto accident and suffer a head injury, your recovery could be prolonged and very costly. You may be able to offset some of those costs by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver who caused your accident.
