Each year, about 2.8 million people in the U.S. sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Unlike cuts, bruises, and broken bones, which typically fully heal with time, brain injuries are notoriously complex and often lead to long-term or lifelong deficits.
Each March, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) leads the nation in celebrating Brain Injury Awareness Month. Established over three decades ago, this annual campaign provides a time to educate the general public on brain injuries, reduce stigma regarding this condition, and highlight the unique needs of brain injury survivors.
Many times, people are unsure what exactly they can do to help during any type of “awareness month.” Here are some simple yet powerful ways you can get involved during Brain Injury Awareness Month:
- Learn more about traumatic brain injuries. A great start is the BIAA or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Volunteer. There’s always a need for volunteers; you can lend your time to an organization that serves those with traumatic brain injuries.
- Donate or fundraise. If you are able, donate to an organization that works to better the lives of those with TBI; you can also hold a fundraising event.
- Help someone. There’s a good chance you know someone is impacted by TBI; ask how you can help or simply listen to their story.
Protecting Your Loved Ones from TBI
We understand that nothing is more important than your safety and that of your family. In observance of Brain Injury Awareness Month, we would like to offer some important ways that you can drastically reduce your risk of sustaining a TBI in an accident:
- Always wear a seatbelt in the car, and ensure young children are properly secured in a car seat or booster seat.
- Never get into a car with an impaired driver.
- Wear a helmet (and ensure children do, too) when biking, scootering, skateboarding, horseback riding, or playing any sort of sport that requires protective headgear.
- For older adults, talk to your doctor about ways that you can make your home safer and reduce the risk of falls.
- Install window guards and safety gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs to protect young children.
Having worked with brain injury survivors and their families for more than three decades, the attorneys at Klein Frank have a keen understanding of the impacts related to traumatic brain injuries. If you sustained a TBI as the result of another person’s negligence, we are here to hear your story and help you recover the right way.
Get in touch with our Boulder brain injury attorneys at (303) 448-8884 to get started with your free, personalized case review.