TBI Basics - What Is a TBI, and Who Gets It?

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden, forceful blow to the head damages the brain. If the blow does not penetrate the skull, the injury is called a closed head injury. If an object such as a bullet or a piece of shrapnel pierces the skull and actually enters the brain, the injury is called a penetrating head injury. The damage to the brain from either a closed or a penetrating injury can be located in a single area. This is called a focal injury. When multiple areas of the brain are affected, the injury is called a diffuse injury.

How are TBI's caused?

Among the civilian population, about 35 percent of all TBI's are the result of falls. Children under 14 and adults over 75 have the highest rates of TBI's associated with falls. Car, truck, and motorcycle and bicycle crashes, especially those involving pedestrians account for about 18 percent of TBI's. Another 20 percent of TBI's are caused by violence, especially involving guns, and child and spousal abuse. Nearly eight percent result from sports injuries. The sports with the highest rate of TBI's are bicycling, football, hockey, and soccer.

Military personnel have far higher risks and rates of TBI. The chief causes of TBI's for military are bombs, mortars, grenades and other explosive devices, gunfire, and a far higher incidence of motor vehicle accidents.

How common are TBI's?

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that every year about 1.7 million people in the US civilian population sustain a TBI. Of these, 1.3 million are evaluated and treated in ER's, and more than one fifth, some 275,000, require hospitalization for their TBI. Fifty-two thousand people die each year of traumatic brain injury.

Who gets Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Several age groups have increased risk for Traumatic Brain Injuries. The elderly, especially after age 75, are at higher risk for falling, and the majority of TBI's in this group are caused by falls. People over 75 also have the highest rate of hospitalization from their TBI, and the highest percentage of death caused by their TBI. Children under the age of 4 are another high risk group, with falls also the principal cause of their TBI's. Children age 0 to 14 years account for almost 500,000 ER visits per year for TBI's. Adolescents 15-19 years old are another high risk group. Adolescents traumatic brain injuries are most frequently caused by motorcycle and other vehicle crashes, including bicycles, by episodes of violence, and in contact sports such as football and hockey. For people in all age groups, males are at higher risk for TBI's than females.

To learn more about how the brain is affected in a traumatic brain injury, see "TBI Basics - What Happens to the Brain in a TBI."

If you or a loved one has suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury, and you believe that the negligence of another party contributed to the injury, you will want to talk with an experienced brain injury lawyer about your situation, to determine whether you may have a claim.