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The real number of catastrophic injuries

On Behalf of | Jul 21, 2021 | Personal Injury

Anyone who is involved in a car accident could be at risk of a serious or catastrophic injury. Accidents leading to catastrophic injuries are not uncommon.

How many catastrophic injuries really happen? The statistics vary, but when you break down the information into categories, it’s easier to find the answer. The main kinds of catastrophic injuries are brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

How many brain injuries happen due to car crashes?

In 2020, statistics show that a person in the United States suffered a brain injury once every 23 seconds. Car crashes led to around 14% of those cases and are among the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries. Around 1.7 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury annually, and around 20% of those cases are considered moderate or severe.

How many spinal cord injuries happen due to car crashes?

Annually, around 54 people per million suffer from spinal injuries. That’s around 17,730 new cases each year. Car crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries and lead to around 39.3% of all spinal cord injury cases. The second-greatest cause of spinal cord injuries was falls, which made up 31.8% of all cases.

Both brain injuries and catastrophic spinal cord injuries can change a person’s life forever. These personal injuries may cause severe disabilities, chronic pain and dysfunction. It’s important for victims and their families to understand that there is help available and that they may be able to seek compensation following a car crash. The at-fault driver should be held responsible for any injuries that they caused as a result of their actions.