Traumatic Brain Injuries Can Heighten Risk for Premature Death

A 41-year-long study whose results were published in JAMA Psychiatry this month shows that people who suffer traumatic brain injuries could be three times more likely to die young. According to a CBS News report, for the study, researchers looked at everyone born 1954 and after in Sweden, who received inpatient or outpatient care for a traumatic brain injury between 1969 and 2009. In total, the study tracked 218,000 patients over four decades.
Researchers looked at death rates for patients who passed at least six months after sustaining the brain injury, comparing the statistics to the general population as well as siblings of the patient. They also looked at the way the person died – whether he or she committed suicide or died as the result of an injury or assault.

Study Findings
They found that 0.2 percent of people without any history of traumatic brain injuries died prematurely. The fatality rate, however, was three times higher for those who did sustain a brain injury. Those who had suffered a traumatic brain injury and received a previous psychiatric disorder diagnosis had a 20 times higher rate of early death. When compared with siblings and other family members TBI patients were 2.6 times more likely to die prematurely.
Challenges of Living with TBI
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, at least 1.7 million TBIs occur either as an isolated injury or along with other injuries. TBI is a contributing factor to a third or 30.5 percent of all injury-related deaths in the United States. About 75 percent of the TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of “mild TBI.”
Living with a brain injury can be frustrating not only for the victim, but also his or her family members. The physical, emotional and financial burdens faced by victims and their families can be significant. Patients may have to relearn basic functions such as walking, talking, feeding and bathing. They may have to undergo months or even years of rehabilitation, which may not be covered by insurance. Many TBI victims are unable to return to work or earn a livelihood. Severely injured victims may need round-the-clock nursing care, which could add up to millions of dollars over an individual’s lifetime.
Compensation for Injured Victims
If you have suffered a brain injury as the result of a traumatic incident such as a car accident, slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident or medical malpractice, please contact the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm, who can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our skilled personal injury lawyers have a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: CBS News