The brain is the most complex part of the human anatomy, controlling every single physical and mental function that we have. Severe injuries to the brain are highly complicated, cause the most extensive damage to a person's life, and require the highest, and therefore the most expensive, degree of medical care.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), in which the brain is damaged as the result of an accident, is the number- one cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States. It can happen to anyone.

The leading causes of TBI are falls, motor vehicle accidents, being struck by or banging your head against an object, and assault, including assault with a weapon. The most fatal form of TBI is caused by gunshot.

There are about a million and a half TBI victims every year-- about one every fifteen seconds-- including 50,000 deaths and 80,000 people left with serious disabilities. The rest are hospitalized or treated at the emergency room and released. According to the CDC, another 3.8 million people per year suffer sports- related head injuries.

TBI is a contributing factor to nearly a third of all injury-related deaths, according to the U.S. government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC statistics indicate that age groups most likely to experience TBI include children aged 0 to 4 years and teenagers aged 15 to 19 years, as well as adults aged 65 years and older. Males ages 0 to 4 have the highest rates of TBI emergency department visits, hospitalizations and fatalities.

A prominent study examining the societal costs of TBI estimates that direct and indirect costs to the United States from TBI incidents total more than $60 billion per year.

Over 5 million Americans are currently suffering from accident- caused brain damage requiring extremely expensive long- term or lifelong care.

Brain injuries are classified by the National Institutes of Health as mild, moderate, or severe. Symptoms of mild damage include headaches, ringing in the ears, dizziness, and confusion, among others. The line from moderate to severe damage runs from the inability to wake up, to vomiting, convulsions, and increased confusion and restlessness. The most severe injuries range from stupor, to coma, to a temporary vegetative state, and then to a persistent or permanent vegetative state where the victim is completely non- responsive to any stimulus.

Unfortunately, even though millions of dollars are spent every year on research, current science offers very little ability to cure severe brain damage. And even though miracles occasionally happen, most victims of traumatic brain injury and their families are left with lifetime disability and tremendous medical expenses.

According to the CDC, there a number of common-sense precautions which can help protect a loved one against traumatic brain injury. The CDC says to always:

• Wear a seatbelt when you drive or ride in a vehicle;
• Place your child in a height and weight appropriate child safety seat;
• Wear a helmet when engaging in risk-based activities such as skiing, riding a bike or motorcycle, playing a contact sport, and riding a horse;
• Install window guards to protect children from falling out of open windows, and use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs;
• Remove tripping hazards, install handrails on stairways, and install non-slip mats in bathing areas to protect elders against catastrophic falls.

Families of a brain injury victim need to understand their legal rights in this highly complex area of law and medicine. The attorneys at The Gilbert Law Group have many years of experience in dealing with the very sensitive issues, personal and legal, that arise from these severe injuries.