Head Injuries: Preventing Fatality

According to a 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, an estimated 207,830 traumatic brain injuries occur each year in recreational and organized sports in the U.S. A traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden blow causes damage to the brain and disrupts normal function. This type of injury can also occur when a person’s head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object perforates the skull and enters brain tissue, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). A traumatic brain injury can be deceiving because a person may not know how serious their injury is until they are checked out by a doctor. So, if a head injury has occurred, that person should be brought to a hospital to be examined by a doctor, no matter how minor the injury seems. According to NINDS, symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes and trouble with memory, concentration, attention or thinking. A moderate or severe traumatic brain injury may exhibit similar symptoms, in addition to a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination and increased confusion, restlessness or agitation.

Although the CDC reports that the exact number of traumatic brain injury fatalities is unknown, deaths represent fewer than 1 percent of all injuries. Fatal traumatic brain injuries are usually caused by a fracture of the temporal bone, which is the extremely thin skull bone containing part of the ear canal, the middle ear and the inner ear. When this bone is fractured, a tear can occur in an artery, creating the possibility for rapid bleeding. Wearing a helmet during recreational and contact sports prevents skull fractures, although they do not prevent concussions. According to the CDC, football and basketball cause the most brain-injury-related ER visits, while skiing, bicycling, playground activities and driving all-terrain vehicles also commonly cause these types of injuries. The most effective way to lower the risk of a mild, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury is by wearing a helmet during any activity where a blow can occur to the head. Getting checked out by a doctor is also critical because even though an injury may seem minor, it may be serious and potentially fatal. In these cases, emergency surgery may be necessary to prevent death or long-term impairment. If you or a loved one have been seriously hurt by a delay in diagnosis or treatment of a traumatic brain injury, call or e-mail the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. for your free case evaluation. We serve clients with Bronx medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Nassau medical malpractice and Suffolk medical malpractice cases.

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