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Looking at brain injury statistics, in the United States, over 1.5 million people every year sustain some type of traumatic brain injury. But how does that compare to Alabama?
On the whole, the groupings for those sustaining brain injuries are still the same. Males are 1.5 times more likely to sustain a brain injury than a female, the age groups of 0-4 and from 15-19 are most likely to suffer one due to falls or auto accidents, and our military personnel are more likely to suffer a TBI than the average person. Also, African American males are the group most likely to die from a traumatic brain injury in AL.
But what specific things are happening in Alabama?
More people are dying today than were dying in 1999 from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). On average, 5 people per day died from a traumatic brain injury in 2004. Falls resulting in TBI are the leading cause of death in the elderly. Teenagers and adults from 15-44 are the largest group that die from traumatic brain injuries, and the main causes of those deaths are either auto accidents or firearms.
Other disturbing statistics show that one in 500 children is hospitalized every year with a brain injury in Alabama. To date, there are over 160,000 people in Alabama that live with a debilitating brain injury. Over 5000 people are admitted to the hospital every year with some form of traumatic brain injury.
Two truly disturbing statistics show that people in AL are more likely to suffer a debilitating TBI than the National average (per capita) and that people in Alabama are more likely to die from a traumatic brain injury as well. Another statistic states fewer AL residents will be hospitalized with a TBI.
Costs for hospitalization alone are astounding. In 2004, the per day cost for a patient exceeded $4500, and overall, even though the number of days spent in the hospital had decreased from 1999, the cost had increased to over $190 million.
Hospitalization costs are just the tip of the iceberg. The hospitalization cost statistics don’t include the costs for recuperative therapy, they don’t include post hospital medications and doctor’s visits, and it does not even begin to account for the costs associated with lost productivity. Conservative estimates of those costs could be well over a billion dollars.
All too often, those who suffer brain injuries significant enough to require assistance with daily functions have to live in some type of assisted living environment such as a group home or institution capable of dealing with their specific needs. Most of these cases require financial assistance and coverage from Medicaid and Medicare simply to maintain the most basic of needs.
We know of the people around us who have cancer, or who suffer from some debilitating disease like multiple sclerosis because those are either all too common, or so unusual that we can’t help but take note. Unfortunately it seems that those immediately affected by someone who has received a TBI in Alabama seem to be the only ones that understand just how much this changes their lives.
If you have a loved one who is a victim of a traumatic brain injury, and you have no legal representation, then now is the time to call. Toll Free Phone Number 1-877-220-0550.