Alcohol Use Is Present In 40 Percent Of Accidents That Lead To Traumatic Brain Injury

Here’s a shocking statistic: a recent study found that 40 percent of people who visit the emergency room with a head injury have alcohol in their blood; that is, four out of ten people who incur a serious brain injury were drinking shortly before their accident. Another study found that 67 percent of people suffering from head trauma in the United States showed some signs of alcohol use while almost half were legally intoxicated.

Here are a few more statistics about alcohol use and traumatic brain injuries:

• Alcoholics are up to four times more likely to suffer a brain injury than those who do not suffer from an alcohol addiction.
• Thirty percent of head injury victims have a history of drug abuse.
• People with a history of alcoholism in their family are twice as likely to suffer a head injury as those without a familial link to alcoholism.
• Those who suffer a traumatic brain injury while under the influence of alcohol have worse final outcomes than those who were sober at the time of their accident.

Not only does alcohol lead to more accidents and traumatic brain injuries, it also hampers patient recovery, both in the immediate days and weeks after an accident and in the months and years to come. Patients with a history of alcohol use or abuse will often turn to alcohol or another form of substance abuse after an injury. In some cases, those with brain injuries are struggling with impulse control, behavioral problems, depression, and anxiety. In other cases, brain injury victims could be simply bored, frustrated, unable to work, or physically disabled. All of the above factors can lead to a return to alcohol dependence or a new dependence on alcohol.

Unfortunately, drinking alcohol has damaging and even dangerous affects on those with a history of head injury. And many medical professionals are unsure of how to treat the issue of living with a brain injury and an alcohol addiction.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and closed head injuries. In fact, our firm in 2000 helped a brain-damaged client receive what was then the largest verdict for a brain injury case in Virginia history. Then in the year 2012 our firm helped a brain injury client receive a $21 million dollar verdict.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and and we have been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, Rick and Jim have been listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.
We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg. While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll-free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call promptly.