Are certain age groups or demographics more at risk for TBIs than others?

It seems like every week on KPLC you hear that a local kid suffered a concussion after some prank, or about construction accidents leaving workers with head injuries. Everywhere you turned this summer, you were reminded about the importance of helmets and the risks involved with traumatic brain injuries. It’s enough to scare you to death and make you never want to go to work or leave the house again.

But are you truly at risk? You’re relatively young and take good care of yourself. You don’t think you do anything particularly dangerous—should you really have to worry?

Age, Race, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Risk Factors

Within the last decade, rates of traumatic brain injury accidents have sadly increased. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that TBI rates will be over 900 injuries per every 100,000 people in the United States by 2016. This means nearly three-million people will suffer a TBI in one year alone.

Although TBI accidents cannot be predicted, the CDC has collected data over the years that show that certain demographics—gender, age, race, and job type—are more susceptible for severe head and brain injuries than others. This data suggests that:

  • Males are approximately 150 percent more likely to sustain a TBI than females.
  • The age groups that have the highest risk for TBIs are 0 to 4-year-olds, 15 to 19-year-olds, and adults aged 65 years and older.
  • Certain military duties, construction jobs, and certain impact sports all increase risks of sustaining a TBI.
  • African-Americans have the highest TBI death rates out of any other race.

Recovery and Compensation

It doesn’t matter if you were at risk or not, once you have sustained a traumatic brain injury, you will have to go through weeks, months, and even years of treatment and care. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may have a lifetime’s worth of recovery ahead of you.

TBI care can not only be long and arduous, but extremely expensive. Thankfully, you don’t have to go through it alone. Contact us today for a free consultation about whether you’re entitled to damages or compensation for your brain injury. We can help you get the money you need for your treatment and the peace of mind you deserve. Don’t let someone else’s mistake cost you your future.

Make sure your family and friends are aware of the risks. Share this page via Facebook or tell them to contact us directly to discuss any potential questions or concerns they may have about a recent TBI accident. We’re here to help.