Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the condition known as Postconcussive Syndrome (PCS), which often occurs as a result of TBI, have been hot topics of discussion as of late. The discovery that repeated TBI and prolonged PCS lead many of those who suffer them (particularly professional athletes) to early death, has spurred discussion of how to protect against and prevent TBI.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined as "damage to the brain as a result of an injury...usually a violent blow or jolt, that causes the brain to collide with the inside of the skull." Research shows that 1.7 million Americans sustain a TBI each year, a majority of which are classified as mild, resulting in a brief change in mental status or unconsciousness. Moderate to severe occurrences of TBI that do not lead to death may result in an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury and may require extensive physical and occupational therapy for limited to full recovery, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Statistics
1.7 million people in the US sustain TBI annually, 1.3 million of whom are treated and released from an Emergency Room.
TBI results in the death of approximately 52,000 Americans annually.
TBI is a contributing factor to 1/3 of all injury-related deaths in the US.
Direct medical costs and indirect costs of TBI, such as lost productivity, totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000.
Males suffer TBI more often than females.
Children aged 0 to 4 years, older adolescents aged 15 to 19, and adults aged 65 years and older are most likely to sustain a TBI.
Falls are the leading cause of TBI.
Motor vehicle-traffic injury is the leading cause of TBI-related death.
TBI-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths have continued to increase in the past decade.
The team at International Risk Management Group recently received an unanticipated education in Traumatic Brain Injuries when Shay Carney, the 17-year-old son of IRMG's CEO and President, Robert and Stephanie Carney, suffered a severe TBI as the result of a snowboarding accident in the Pocono Mountains on December 29, 2011.
Snowboarding on icy terrain, Shay fell approximately 25 feet from a jump, landing face-first on the ice-packed surface below. It is estimated that Shay remained unconscious for 20-40 minutes before being located by the mountain's emergency rescue team. Shay was transported to an area hospital and admitted into the Trauma ICU. Shay suffered a severe TBI to the right side of his brain, as well as seizures, brain shearing (damage to the nerve endings in the brain) and a right clavicle fracture. Shay is presently receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy with a hopeful return to school in September 2012. His comeback has been extraordinary thanks to his own personal resolve, his network of support, and recent advances in the treatment and rehabilitation of TBI.
Given the importance of this topic in the insurance industry today and the necessity for knowledgeable underwriters and claims professionals, IRMG is dedicated to sharing the wealth of knowledge gained from Shay's experience so that his misfortune can contribute positively to the discussion surrounding Traumatic Brain Injury and the insurance industry's understanding of it.
