Personal Injury News

March Is Brain Injury Awareness Month In North Carolina

Every 15 seconds in this country, someone receives a brain injury. Today, there are more than 5 million Americans permanently affected by a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has left them needing some degree of help just to perform everyday activities most take for granted.

In keeping with national observances, Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed March as Brain Injury Awareness Month in North Carolina.

According to Flo Stein, chief of Community Policy Management for the N.C. Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, TBI survivors often have significant long-term disabilities and medical complications after receiving a brain injury. A TBI is caused by external physical force. It usually happens when the head hits something – a windshield during a car crash, the sidewalk during a fall or the bullet from a gun. Shaking a baby can cause a TBI. Symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of brain damage.

“The statistics for traumatic brain injuries should be a wakeup call for all of us. In North Carolina alone, more than160,000 experienced a TBI. In 2004, over 5,000 of these injuries required hospitalization, which cost over $190 million,” Stein said. “TBI costs the country more than $56 billion in lost wages, hospital costs and long-term care. Half of all TBI’s involve alcohol use and more than 50 percent of these injuries occur in a transportation-related accident.” Read more at dhhs.state.nc.us.

Contact a personal injury attorney in West Virginia now!

Get legal help for your injuries by hiring a lawyer in West Virginia that you are sure will handle the case with respect to you and the legal profession. Hire a personal injury lawyer that has experience in your claim area.

	Did You Know?
	Wrongful death claims seek compensation for losses resulting from the family member's death A number of situations lead to wrongful death case being filed. Medical mistakes, car accidents, criminal attacks, work-related injuries, and other accidents result in wrongful death case. Expert testimony and other requirements mean that medical mistakes tend to be the most difficult wrongful death claims to prove, requiring extensive effort on the part of attorneys.