Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics
Number of people who experience traumatic brain injuries: 1.4 million annually in the United States
Overall among all age groups
Deaths: 50,000
Hospitalization: 235,000
Emergency room visits: 1.1 million TBI patients are treated in the emergency room and released
Among children ages 0 to 14 years
Deaths: 26, 85
Hospitalizations: 37,000
Emergency Department visits: 435,000
Number of Americans living with a traumatic brain injury:
Approximately 5.3 million
Risk by age:
Children ages 0 to 14 years and young people ages 15 to 19 years are at the highest risk for TBIs.
Adults over 75 years old are at the highest risk for hospitalization and death due to TBIs damaging areas like the parietal lobe
Marital Status at time of injury:
47% single
32.5 % married
Residence at time of injury:
With parents: 37%
With spouse: 32 %
Occupational Status at time of injury:
57% employed full- or part-time
Injuries by gender:
Males are nearly twice as likely to sustain a TBI as females are
Injury by race/ethnicity:
African Americans have the highest rate of death from TBIs.
African Americans, Native Americans, and Alaskan Natives have the highest rate of hospitalization for TBIs.
Causes by percentage:
28% falls
20% motor vehicle accidents
19% struck by objects or against objects
11% violence
Falls and being struck or striking an object frequently occur during sporting activities. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, during 2007 the following numbers represent an accurate estimation of the number of sports related head injuries seen in hospital emergency rooms:
Cycling: 64,993
Baseball and Softball: 25,079
Basketball: 24,701
Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 24,090
Skateboards/Scooters (Powered): 18,542
Soccer: 17,108
Skateboards/Scooters: 16,477
Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,120
Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing): 12,096
Horseback Riding: 11,759
Health Club (Exercise, Weightlifting): 11,550
Golf: 8,417
Trampolines: 7,075
Hockey: 5,483
Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 5,459
Ice Skating: 3,703
Fishing: 3,560
Rugby/Lacrosse: 3,281
Wrestling: 2,640
The top 10 head injury categories among children ages 14 and younger:
Cycling: 32,899
Football: 17,441
Baseball and Softball: 13,508
Skateboards/Scooters (Powered): 11,848
Basketball: 10,844
Skateboards/Scooters: 10,256
Winter Sports: 7,546
Powered Recreational Vehicles: 7,460
Water Sports: 6,498
Trampolines: 6,360
Severity of injury:
Approximately 75% of traumatic brain injuries seen in emergency departments are mild cases. Annually approximately 70,000 people who have TBI experience permanent damage.
Lifetime costs:
It was estimated that medical costs and loss of wages due to TBI amounted to over $60 billion in the United States during 2000.
Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery
Recovery from a traumatic brain injury is a long, difficult process. It is emotionally draining for both the patient and the patient’s family. Weeks and months may elapse before the patient is anywhere near their former self; progress to the best possible recovery may take years. If you or a loved one suffer from a traumatic brain injury, it is important that you have some understanding of all the factors involved. Be prepared; while many brain-injured patients return to nearly the abilities they had before the injury, others do not.