Traumatic brain injuries occur accidentally and sometimes because of intentional acts. People sustain TBIs when an object (often a bullet) penetrates the skull and damages the brain.
They occur more frequently during closed head trauma. The brain sustains damage when it strikes the interior skull during a severe body jolt or bump, or a head blow.
Closed head injuries occur during many everyday activities and events.
Auto Accidents: Of the 18,557 patients in the TBIMS National Data and Statistical Center database, 49 percent sustained traumatic brain injuries in “vehicular” accidents. This includes cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, ATVs, and other vehicles.
Falls: Falls caused 29 percent of TBIs. Fall accidents include slip-and-falls, playground accidents, workplace occurrences, and other incidents. These involve falls from elevated areas such as stairs and construction worksites, and on level surfaces such as pavement or parking lots.
Violence: TBIMS-documented injuries show that 11 percent of traumatic brain injuries happened because of violent incidents, primarily gun wounds.
Other: Eleven percent of the brain injuries in the TBIMS database list the cause as “other.” This includes medical malpractice, sports, defective products, and other categories.