The 5 most common causes of brain injury

It’s Brain Awareness Week 2019, a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research.

As a specialist personal injury law firm which helps people whose lives have been turned upside down by brain injury, we understand the importance of vital research into the brain; particularly the treatment and care of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

TBI is the leading cause of death in people under the age of 40. The Neurosurgical Research Foundation estimates that between 54 and 60 million people worldwide sustain a TBI each year.

But how do people get injured in this way?

Traumatic brain injury is usually caused by a blow or other traumatic injury to the head or body. The level of damage depends on several factors, including the nature of the injury and the force of impact.

Anna Cole from our Swindon office gives the lowdown on the five most common causes of traumatic brain injury:

1. Road traffic accidents – Crashes account for 50% of all traumatic brain injuries[i]. This includes accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians hit by vehicles.
2. Falls – Falls from a bed or ladder, falling downstairs or in the bath and other falls at home and the workplace are a leading cause of TBIs. This is particularly the case for people aged 65 years and over[ii].
3. Sports injuries – Estimates suggest that sports-related brain injury accounts for close to 300,000 injuries each year, with winter sports such as skiing and ice-skating accounting for close to 20,000 brain injuries[iii].
4. Criminal assault – Domestic violence, gunshot wounds, child abuse, blows to the head and other physical assaults are common causes of TBI.
5. Explosive blasts – This is a common cause of TBI in active-duty military personnel due to penetrating wounds, blows to the head with shrapnel or debris and falls or bodily collisions with objects following a blast[iv].

At Novum Law, we specialise in helping people who’ve sustained severe brain injuries, through no fault of their own, to make a claim for compensation.

If you, or someone close to you, has been involved in a serious accident – whether it was a road traffic accident, a motorbike, cycling or pedestrian accident, or a mishap at work or in a public place, it is vital to speak to an experienced brain injury solicitor.

We can help with your brain injury compensation claim on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis with absolutely no financial risk. Call us in confidence on 0800 884 0777 or email info@novumlaw.com.