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Traumatic Brain Injury in Sports and Car Accidents

The human brain is the most complex biological structure known to man – aside from being the center of our nervous system, it is also responsible for controlling all other organ systems of the body.

A recent article from CNN featured the risks of athletes, particularly football players of playing through concussions (a type of traumatic brain injury) and sustaining more serious brain damage later because of the sport. Dr. Bennet Omalu, co-director of the Brain Injury Research Institute claimed that American football players with a history of concussion are likely to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is similar to dementia, some symptoms include memory loss, rage, uncontrollable depression and suicidal tendencies.

While sports and recreation related activities account for as much as 135,000 traumatic brain injuries every year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention pegs that as much as 1.7 million Americans suffer a brain injury annually.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is also responsible for 30.5 percent of all injury-related deaths – around 52,000 people die of TBI every year.

But aside from sports activities, other major causes of brain injuries include the following:

  • Falls (35.2 percent)
  • Motor vehicle accidents (17.3 percent)
  • Collision with moving and stationary objects (16.5 percent)
  • Physical assaults (10 percent)

Though second only to fall accidents, motor vehicle crashes accounts for the highest percentage of TBI-related deaths at 31.8 percent.

Suffice to say, whether you are a professional football player or an ordinary driver, it is important to know how you can avoid sustaining brain injury in your activities.

Here are some safety tips you can follow to protect your brain:

  • Always wear a federally-approved helmet when riding a bicycle, motorcycle, or when engaging in any physical sports or recreational activity.
  • If you hit your head and have a concussion, even if you feel fine, get medical attention. Head injuries are often invisible and since a concussion is similar to a fracture, it would be best to treat and rest damaged brain cells.
  • Remove tripping or falling hazards from hallways and walkways (toys, rugs, etc.) and put nonslip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors.
  • Wear a safety belt when operating or riding any motor vehicle.
  • When taking your child with you in a motor vehicle, ensure that the child is safely restrained according to his/her height, weight, and age in a child safety seat.

In the event that you suffered brain injury as an athlete or in a traffic accident, you have the right to hold the person who caused your injury liable for your economic and non-economic damages. A personal injury attorney should be consulted if you want to file a claim for compensation for your traumatic brain injury.