Auto Accidents Cause 1.7 Million Traumatic Brain Injuries Every Year

It doesn’t matter who you are, you must drive with caution; pay attention to what you are doing, where you are going, and be observant of those around you. The consequences of inattention may be an auto accident; the results could be serious personal injuries or death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 1.7 Million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur each year, many as the result of auto accidents. Although advancements in auto safety may be a factor in reducing deaths from an auto accident, many will still suffer from a TBI. This type of injury has been dubbed “silent” because no one really “sees” it. Many people with TBI are "walking wounded" and suffer from injuries deemed serious but not easily observable.

Reports show that sudden accelerations and decelerations that happen on impact in an auto accident can cause nerve fibers in the brain to stretch and tear, causing permanent cell damage. The sudden impact can cause the brain to slam into the interior of the skull; bleeding, bruising and swelling may increase pressure in the brain.

The extent of a TBI can range from mild to severe. The signs can be hard to recognize, and the damage caused is not always readily apparent. Symptoms can take several days to develop. Here is a list of symptoms as reported by the National Institutes of Health:

• Unconsciousness
• Fractures, bruising or bleeding
• Fluid drainage from the ears, nose or mouth
• Pupil dilation or unequal pupil size
• Seizures
• Headache and lighheadedness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of coordination and balance
• Slurred speech and language problems
• Blurred vision
• Memory loss, difficulty concentrating, or confusion
• Behavioral or mood changes and irritability

There is a common belief that not much can be done for people with brain injuries. Some experts say brain damage is not permanent because of “plasticity,” the brain’s ability to rewire itself, relocating information to different brain areas and/or neural networks; the bottom line being brain injury patients can heal with the right prompting. This may have enormous potential for TBI patients.

Even with new developments in the field of brain cell death and plasticity, TBIs remain a mystery because no two people are affected in the same manner so there are no standard treatments. What needs to happen now is finding ways to nudge the brain into growing new connections and pathways to circumvent brain injury for the future.

Mark Bello has thirty-three years experience as a trial lawyer and twelve years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide legal finance cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by plaintiffs involved in pending, personal injury litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Business Associate of the Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado Associations for Justice, a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.