Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) happen in many different ways. Children get hurt when they crash their bikes. Football players suffer TBIs when they collide on the field. Workers get brain injuries when they fall from ladders or get struck by falling objects. The list of potentially deadly injuries could go on forever.
But what causes the most TBIs every year? What is the very greatest risk?
As you may have guessed, the top reason (40.5%) is falling. Any Michigan construction accident attorney representing injured workers understands that risk. However, the second-leading reason is something we all face every day, and most people never think about how risky it is: car accidents. They lead to roughly 14.3% of the 2 million brain injuries that Americans suffer every year.
While 14.3% may make it sound small, it’s perhaps more telling to think about how 14.3% of 2 million is still 286,000 traumatic brain injuries. That happens every single year, especially during the holiday traffic. If you want to break it down even further, that means that an average of about 784 people suffer a TBI in a car accident every day. And, the scarier part is that many car accident victims confuse this with a headache, at first.
You probably do not think that driving your car to work or to the store could change your life forever. You’ve been doing it for years. Everyone does it. It feels mundane.
As the stats show, though, hundreds and hundreds of people suffer these potentially life-changing injuries on a daily basis. Thousands suffer harm every month. The risk is real.
If you do suffer injuries in a car accident, it can lead to high medical bills and other costs. Be sure you know not only what the risk looks like, but what legal options you have to seek compensation for these auto accident injury costs.
For more information, contact an experienced Southfield car accident injury lawyer.