Although not always visible, it may cause enduring physical, emotional, intellectual and social changes for the survivor. The impact of head injury goes beyond the survivor. Every five minutes one of these individuals will die and another will become permanently disabled. Estimates for incidence of head injury vary. Researchers have generally concluded that head injury occurs in about 200 of every 100,000 people annually.
Conservative estimates claim over two million individuals suffer a traumatic brain injury each year.
About 500,000 to 750,000 head injuries each year are severe enough to require hospitalization between 75,000-100,000 result in death. Males are twice as likely as females to suffer head injuries. Most survivors are between 15 to 24 years of age. Falls are the second leading cause, followed by assaults and firearms. Alcohol plays a significant role in head injury accidents.