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Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur after birth due to something other than a congenital disease. TBIs can result from accidents, medical events, assaults, or other traumatic incidents. In many situations, TBI victims may have a legal claim against any party whose negligent or intentional actions led to the injury. 

New York State and the National Safety Council (NSC) provide detailed statistics about brain injury causes. The most common causes of brain injury in New York include the following: 

Falls 

According to the NSC, falls are the leading cause of brain injuries in the U.S. Statistics from New York State agree. Falls are the top cause of TBI-related emergency room visits for all age groups except 10 through 19. They are also the top cause of TBI hospitalizations for every age group except 15 through 24. 

Falls include two types of accidents. Elevated falls occur when the victim falls from one level to a lower level. A fall from a ladder or down a flight of stairs would qualify as an elevated fall. 

Same-elevation falls occur when the victim falls on the same level. These falls often occur when the victim loses their footing due to a slip or trip. 

In both cases, the victim can suffer a brain injury when their head strikes something. The brain shifts violently inside the skull. The tissues that cushion the skull can press on the brain. The brain may even strike the inside of the skull. In either case, brain cells die or suffer damage that produces brain injury symptoms. 

Violence 

Homicide and suicide are leading causes of fatal brain injuries for most age groups in New York. Moreover, assault is among the top ten causes of brain injury hospitalizations and emergency room visits for all New Yorkers, regardless of age. 

These statistics speak to both the fragility of the brain and the effectiveness of guns in destroying its tissues. However, even assaults that do not involve firearms can injure the brain.  

A blow to the head can cause a non-fatal concussion or a fatal cerebral contusion. Violent shaking can tear the brain’s cells apart, causing diffuse axonal injuries or subdural hematomas. 

Traffic Accidents 

Traffic accidents cause over 14% of brain injuries, according to the NSC. New York breaks these causes into specific types of transportation users, including: 

• Vehicle occupants 
• Pedestrians 
• Bicyclists 
• Motorcyclists 
• Train passengers 

Car accidents fall in the top four causes of emergency room visits for brain injuries across all age groups in the state. Pedestrian accidents were the leading cause of fatal brain injuries for children in New York between 10 and 15. Car accidents were ahead of other causes of TBI-related hospitalization for New York residents between 15 and 24. 

Drowning and Suffocation 

Drowning and suffocation do not appear in New York’s statistics because of the state’s definition of TBI. However, the CDC reports that drowning is a leading cause of death for children between one and four years old. Similarly, unintentional suffocation is the leading cause of death in infants under a year old. 

Although the brain only accounts for about 2% of the body’s weight, it uses about 20% of the oxygen you breathe. When something obstructs your breathing, your brain immediately begins to die. Permanent brain damage occurs after only four minutes without oxygen. Death can occur in just eight to ten minutes. 

Struck By or Against an Object 

This category is a catchall for accidents in which an object strikes the head or vice versa, and the incident does not fall into another category. This cause is the second-most common reason for TBI-related emergency room visits in New York for children and seniors. 

Sports accidents fall into this category. For example, getting hit in the head by a baseball would qualify as a struck-by accident. 

Falling or rolling objects could also qualify. Thus, a struck-by accident happens when a senior tries to lift something onto a high shelf and drops it onto their head. 

Struck-against accidents often happen when you get pushed into something. These accidents are similar to falls, but they occur for a reason other than poor footing. 

Get Help With Your Brain Injury Case 

Brain injuries can cause mental and physical symptoms that require treatment and therapy. Silberstein, Awad & Miklos has decades of experience fighting for compensation for the losses caused by a brain injury. Contact our team for a free consultation to discuss the compensation we can seek for a brain injury you or your loved one suffered.