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30 Percent of All Deaths Caused By Severe Brain Injuries

A Payson, Arizona teenager was recently killed after he sustained a head injury while using a zip line. ABC 15 reports that the 15-year-old boy was participating in a troop activity at a private residence when the accident occurred. The boy climbed onto the zip line before the safety equipment was installed and struck a tree. He was pronounced dead at Payson Medical Center due to the effects of severe head injuries. A Chicago wrongful death lawyer often sees similar cases and knows that this accident could have easily occurred in Illinois.

About traumatic brain injuries

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, traumatic brain injuries are caused when the brain is damaged by sudden trauma. The trauma can occur when the head suddenly hits an object, or when a foreign object pierces the skull and enters the brain. The symptoms of a brain injury can be mild, moderate or severe. The extent of the symptoms largely depends on the severity of the injury. Some individuals experience headache, confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing of the ears, and fatigue. The symptoms may also include issues with concentration and memory, thinking and maintaining attention.

In moderate and severe cases, patients may also experience debilitating headaches that do not go away, nausea and vomiting, dilation of one or both pupils, seizures, convulsions, slurred speech and restlessness. A Chicago wrongful death lawyer knows that when they survive, some individuals with severe traumatic brain injury lose the ability to walk, talk, feed themselves, or operate regular control over their bodies.

Sobering statistics

Head injury fatalities are a common occurrence in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 30 percent of all injury deaths are caused by, in whole or in part, traumatic brain injuries. That equates to 138 people dying each day due to these injuries. In 2010, TBIs were connected to 2.5 million hospitalizations, emergency department visits or deaths.

Children are particularly susceptible to the condition. A 2009 estimate by the CDC reports that nearly 250,000 children were treated for TBIs in connection with recreational sports injuries. For both children and adults, however, falls cause 40.5 percent of these injuries. This makes it the most common cause of TBIs. Unintentional trauma, such as occurs when being struck by an object, makes up 15 percent of brain injuries. Motor vehicle crashes account for another 14 percent of the injuries.

Losing a loved one in a needless and preventable accident can leave families reeling and unsure of their futures. Those who have lost loved ones to traumatic brain injuries may be able to seek damages for their losses, and in so doing, regain their hope. Family members of the victims should contact a Chicago wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible to discuss their matter.

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