Traumatic Brain Injuries Must be Studied, Prevented and Treated

Traumatic brain injuries in the United States are frighteningly common and underdiagnosed. Their consequences can be debilitating and deadly. If a new bill is passed, the Center for Disease Control program that researches these injuries will be defunded.

More than 214,000 people were hospitalized for TBIs in 2020, and the injuries killed over 69,000 the following year, according to the CDC. Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of death and disability in adults in the U.S.

Still, many cases of TBI are never diagnosed or treated. What will happen if one of the only government entities studying them is disbanded?

What are Traumatic Brain Injuries?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a person’s head is hit or jarred hard enough that their brain collides against, or twists around within, their skull. It can happen with an open or closed head injury. TBIs are classified as mild, moderate or severe.

Among the milder symptoms are nausea and vomiting, headaches, trouble sleeping, and anxiety and depression. But the more severe a TBI is, the more intense and long-lasting its symptoms. Severe brain injuries can cause seizures, memory loss, trouble with speech, paralysis and even coma.

Traumatic brain injuries alter a brain’s chemistry and kill brain cells, which usually won’t regenerate, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Concussion is a common form of mild TBI. Recovery from TBI depends on a variety of symptoms, including the severity of the injury and a person’s health.

The CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

An organization within the Center for Disease Control, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, is one of the few reliable resources studying brain injuries. Unfortunately, a proposed budget cut for the 2025 Fiscal Year would defund the center.

The CDC’s Injury Center funds several important programs, including HEADS UP, which educates the public on concussions, and the Core State Injury Prevention Program, which supplies grants to identify and treat brain injury.

The National Concussion Surveillance System would also be defunded. According to a report by the Brain Injury Association of America, this system has worked toward proper diagnosis of brain injuries since 2019.

Data collected in that time indicates that concussions are underdiagnosed. The surveillance system found that 30 times more children and 17 times more adults have suffered from brain injuries than what emergency room data reported.

The bill that is being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives would eliminate funding that supports critical programs like these. This threat comes amid a time of progress in the brain-injury field.

Just this summer, four amendments addressing TBI were added to the National Defense Authorization Act. With these, members of the armed forces will have better access to TBI identification, treatment and research.

Another success came when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services classified TBI as a chronic condition, which will allow for more insurance coverage for patients suffering from brain injury. The aftermath of TBIs can last from months to decades. Many folks never return to “normal.”

This is something I discussed with physiatrist Dr. Edward Negovetich on my podcast, After the Crash. Brain injuries can be hard to diagnose and harder still to treat. But giving victims the support they need can help improve their quality of life.

Do car accidents cause traumatic brain injuries?

Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries, affecting drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Wearing your seatbelt reduces the risk of concussion in a collision, but there isn’t just one step to prevent all TBIs.

Because so many TBIs are caused by wrecks, making our roads safer is a key method for preventing them. My recent blog post explores Automatic Emergency Braking Systems, a technology becoming more popular that can prevent rear-end collisions.

Fewer car crashes lead to fewer brain injuries, and a more educated public leads to fewer folks suffering from brain injuries in silence.

Indiana’s approach to traumatic brain injury

In 2019, Indiana began the five-year Indiana Traumatic Brain Injury State Plan. Its goals include reducing the number of TBIs, improving the care and outcomes of TBI patients, increasing access to rehabilitation, and educating TBI patients and their families.

Before this plan was developed, the last Indiana TBI needs assessment occurred in 2004. The state’s knowledge of brain injuries was extremely outdated. An assessment of brain injuries in Indiana was past due.

The plan states: “In 2016, TBI was listed as the primary cause of death or in combination with other injuries and conditions in 1,239 Hoosier deaths (18.6 per 100,000 Indiana residents).”

It goes on to say that car crashes caused 23% of TBI-related deaths and 39% of TBI-related emergency room visits in Indiana. In 2016, vehicle collisions killed 829 people in Indiana, a number that continues to rise each year, according to NHTSA. In 2022, 949 people died in motor vehicle accidents in Indiana.

Not all of these suffered from TBI, but it is likely that many of them did. In 2022, more than two million people in the United States were injured in crashes. How many people came away from those wrecks with brain injuries? How many people didn’t receive the treatment they needed?

How to prevent TBIs

Although 75% of TBIs are classified as “mild,” they can cause permanent pain, discomfort and life changes for the people they affect. And, while there is no way to guarantee you’ll never face brain injury, there are a few preventative measures you can take.

First, wear your seatbelt. It’s a quick step that is, for many people, an instinct when they enter a car. In 2023, almost 92% of Americans were estimated to use their seatbelts. It’s the number one way to prevent injury or death in collisions.

But people outside of motor vehicles are endangered, too. At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, we believe it is important that every cyclist always wears a helmet. According to NHTSA, 1,105 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2022.

It is estimated that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85%. For this reason, our law firm has given away thousands of bike helmets in the community for more than a decade. Wearing a helmet is an easy and affordable way to potentially save your life.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle crash caused by someone else’s negligence, contact us today at (800) 746-0226 or with our online form.

David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.