Every year, roughly 288,000 Americans stay in the hospital for traumatic brain injuries, according to reports from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. That’s greater than 20 times the number of hospitalizations for spinal cord injuries.
The leading causes of fatal traumatic brain injuries are motor vehicle accidents, suicides, and falls. Most non-fatal TBI injuries stem from falls and motor vehicle incidents, at 35 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Additionally, 17 percent of all non-fatal injuries are a result of a strike or blow to the head or the head hitting against an object.
The direct and indirect costs for these TBI injuries are a massive $76.5 billion.
