Irwin & Boesen - Denver, Colorado Trial Attorneys

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, an estimated 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, with nearly 80,000 Americans developing long-term disability each year, and 50,000 people die each year as a direct result of a traumatic brain injury.

Of all types of injury, those to the brain are among the most likely to result in death or permanent disability. Estimates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence, severity, and cost reflect the enormous losses to individuals, their families, and society from these injuries. According to the United States Center for Disease Control, 5.3 million Americans are living today with a TBI-related disability.

Twenty-two percent of people who have a TBI die from their injuries. The risk of having a TBI is especially high among adolescents, young adults, and people older than 75 years of age. For persons of all ages, the risk of TBI among males is twice the risk among females. The leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle crashes and falls.

The leading causes of TBI vary by age: falls are the leading cause of TBI among persons aged 65 years and older, whereas motor vehicle accidents lead among persons aged 5 to 64 years. Traumatic brain injury can greatly affect many cognitive, physical, and psychological skills. Physical deficit can include ambulation, balance, coordination, fine motor skills, strength, and endurance. Cognitive deficits of language and communication, information processing, memory, and perceptual skills are common. Psychological status is also often altered. Adjustment to disability issues are frequently encountered by people with TBI.

Because the majority of traumatic brain injuries are caused by accidents, many innocent people unnecessarily suffer because of the carelessness of others. The economic burden of treating traumatic brain injury patients is between 9 billion dollars and 10 billion dollars per year. It is estimated that persons suffering a severe traumatic brain injury may incur between $600,000.00 dollars and $1.9 million dollars in long term rehabilitative care. With this in mind, a qualified lawyer with extensive experience in handling traumatic brain injury cases should be hired as quickly as possible.

The most challenging aspect of representing traumatic brain injury survivors is that many times they have minimal outward physical manifestations of injury. These patients are told they will recover. As a result many do not receive appropriate care and treatment for the disabilities that follow, including physical, cognitive, psychological, and social impairments. Obtaining fair compensation for these clients requires a thorough understanding of traumatic brain injury.