Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the term used to describe brain damage suffered as a result of a sudden physical force or impact. TBI does not refer to brain damage that is hereditary, congenital, or degenerative, nor does it refer to brain damage resulting from toxic exposure, birth trauma or exposure to viruses or microorganisms. TBI may result when the head hits an object such as a dashboard or windshield, or when an object pierces the skull and damages brain tissue. TBI may also result from violent back and forth shaking, such as in infants who are shaken or from severe whiplash in an accident.

 

Statistics on TBI
According to a 2004 study of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 1.4 million people sustain a TBI each year in the United States. Of this number, 1.1 million are treated and released from the emergency room, 235,000 require hospitalization, and 50,000 will eventually die of their injury.

 

The most common causes of TBI per a 2005 U.S. Department of Defense Study are as follows:

Falls (28%)

Motor Vehicle Accidents (20%)

Struck by an Object (19%)

Assaults (11%)

 

Every 23 seconds, a person within the United States sustains a TBI.