Falls and auto accidents are the leading causes for Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, in West Virginia and throughout the United States. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is trying to spread awareness about these types of injuries. According to the organization, falls account for 28% of TBI cases and auto accidents make up another 20%.

Further, many TBI injuries in West Virginia are related to crashes that involve drunk drivers. As a matter of fact, the Charleston Gazette reports that half of all TBI cases last year were sustained in auto accidents that involved DUI.

1.4 million people sustain TBI every year in America, says BIAA. Of that number, 50,000 die from their injuries and 235,000 are hospitalized. The remaining 1.1 million are treated and released from the emergency room. Men are more likely to suffer TBI than women (1.5 times) and African-Americans have the highest death rate from TBI. The indirect (loss of ability to work or productivity) and direct medical costs combined totaled more than $60 billion in the U.S. alone in 2000. Additionally, the CDC reports that at more than 5 million Americans require ongoing or lifelong care as a result of traumatic brain injury. TBI victims are at greater risk for degenerative diseases as well, such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

If you or a family member has suffered from TBI as a result of a slip and fall or an auto accident, you may be entitled to money to cover the costs of your medical bills, loss of wages and other damages. Contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case.