While brain injuries can be terrible, they’re even more tragic and worrying when children have to experience them. Children are still in the process of developing, which means their brains take longer to recover than an adult. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, 62,000 children sustain brain injuries needing hospitalization every year, and another 564,000 are seen in emergency rooms for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are released. So what causes the majority of these accidents? We’ve assembled the most common causes of child TBI below.
Falls
Falls are the most common accident in general, and they are the leading cause of TBI in the United States. Among children ages 0 to 14 years of age, they cause 50% of TBI. Young children, in particular, are susceptible to falling as the younger they are, the less coordinated their movements are. Likewise, children are more often bike riding, roller skating, and riding skateboards, which can also easily lead to head injuries.
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Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries among people in the United States, and children are often injured in collisions while inside the car and out. Passengers are not exempt from TBI from traumatic car crashes. Although most concussions result from striking a steering wheel or windshield, if a car is hit from the side, it is possible for a passenger in the back seat to strike their head on a back window or the frame of the car and sustain a TBI. Likewise, severe whiplash can also cause a concussion, as the force of the crash forces the soft tissues of the brain to strike the skull during a rear-end collision or a sudden braking in speed.
Child Abuse
About 1,400 cases of abusive TBI occur in the United States every year. However, those are the recorded cases. There may be hundreds of other children whose mild concussions go unreported out of fear or neglect. Recognition of TBI in young children is vital. If they return to a violent home, they are likely to be continually abused and may even be killed by an out-of-control relative.
Sports Injuries
Most sports that feature bodily contact can easily lead to concussions, such as wrestling, football, and hockey. However, any sport can cause concussions and other TBI. Soccer, baseball, softball, and lacrosse and others can lead to TBI through accidental strikes from other players or projectiles or falls.
Birth
Birth can be a traumatic experience for both mother and child. However, complications during the birthing process, including treatment from licensed medical professionals, can prevent oxygen from reaching the child. Oxygen deprivation during birth can lead to brain damage depending on how long the child’s brain was without oxygen. In most cases, a brain can recover without any signs of damage; however, extended deprivation can often cause brain cells to die, which can damage important parts of the brain.
If your child’s TBI was caused by someone else’s negligence, contact us as soon as possible. Jordan Law is dedicated to representing people whose injuries were caused by negligence or carelessness. Our experienced Denver personal injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. Let us see how we can help you. Talk to us about your situation in a free case evaluation today.