Utah Brain Damage Lawyers

UDOH Report Shows 5 New Injuries Every Day in Utah

(Salt Lake City, UT) – This month an estimated 174 Utahns will suffer life-altering
injuries to the brain. If you’re a male or you live off the Wasatch Front, your risk is even
higher than that of other Utahns.

The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) released a report that reviewed traumatic
brain injuries, otherwise known as TBI, in Utahns from 2000-2003. It looks at the overall
impact these injuries continue to have on the individuals, their families and communities.

“The leading cause of TBI is motor vehicle-related incidents for those under 65 years of
age, with the second most common cause being fall-related injuries in those over age 65,”
said Trisha Keller, Manager, UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program. “Sadly,
these injuries are largely preventable,” she said. “Still an average of five new incidents
that either require hospitalization or result in death occur each day.” Typical examples of
head injuries, taken from 2005 data, include the following:

• A 45-year-old male living in a rural county suffered severe head and neck injuries
when he crashed his motorcycle into a car. He was not wearing a helmet. After
hospitalization, he was transferred to a rehab facility for an extended stay.

• A 19-year-old male was sustained a severe skull fracture in a single car rollover that
left him hospitalized for more than a month. Tests showed marijuana in the teen’s
bloodstream. Today he remains dependent on others for daily care.

According to the data, these two incidents likely resulted in an average charge for inpatient
hospitalization of more than $19,000 per case. These costs do not include the costs of
rehabilitation or the ongoing expenses associated with daily support services.

Nearly twice as many males as females experienced a TBI during the report period. Among
those cases sampled, unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicles and falls.

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