1620 5th AvenueStatistics show that teenagers are more vulnerable to long term effects of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) than adults with fully formed brains, according to an article on DigitalJournal.com. One of the reasons that teens may be more likely to suffer the TBI in the first place is because the part of the brain that allows humans to properly evaluate risks is still developing in the teenage brain.
According to a release from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance, 30 percent of teens involved in a car accident suffer a head injury. These range from simple to concussions to fractured skulls and TBIs. Between 2009 and 2010, an average of 55,000 teen drivers were injured in car accidents each year.
Teenagers recovering from a TBI often face different obstacles than adults because their brains are still developing.
“Since full recovery from serious head injuries if often not achievable, there can be a significant life-long impact from these injuries on teens and their families,” said Dr. Dennis R. Durbin, lead author of the report from the Children’s Hospital and State Farm. “The brain is the organ that is least able to heal, so prevention is the best medicine.”
It is even more difficult to gauge the level of treatment teenage victims of TBI may need for the rest of their lives.
Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego personal injury attorney.
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