Facts and Statistics
Wallet Card
BIASC has created a wallet card for brain injury survivors. This card is a printable, fillable paper that is small enough to fit in a wallet, and will assist survivors when they come in contact with others who are not aware of the signs and symptoms of brain injury. Simply print the card and letter that accompanies it. Fill in the information on the card and present the card and letter to your physician for his/her signature. The letter provides justification from a physician on the importance and benefit of an individual’s specific physician signing the brain injury survivor wallet card.
Brain Injury in South Carolina:
More than 700,000 South Carolinians experience a Traumatic Brain Injury or Stroke each year.
Nearly 182,379 of those individuals are left with disabilities.
Causes of TBI in South Carolina:
Falls: 45%
Motor vehicle crashes: 25%
Struck by/against events: 11%
Assault-related struck by/against events: 5%
Data is herein obtained in part from the Division of Injury & Violence Prevention, S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control; Department of Biometry & Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National TBI Facts and Statistics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a traumatic brain injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.
How many people have TBI?
In 2014, there were approximately 2.87 million TBI in the United States, including over 837,000 occurring among children. This includes:
Approximately 2.53 million TBI-related ED visits, including over 812,000 occurring among children.
Approximately 288,000 TBI-related hospitalizations, including over 23,000 occurring among children.
56,800 TBI-related deaths, including 2,529 occurring among children.
The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.
What causes TBI?
Intentional self-harm, unintentional falls, and motor vehicle crashes were the most common mechanisms of injury contributing to a TBI-related death. These three principal mechanisms of injury accounted for 32.5%, 28.1%, 18.7%, of all TBI-related deaths.
Rates of TBI-related deaths per 100,000 population were highest among older adults aged ≥75 years (78.5), those aged 65-74 years (24.7), and individuals 55-64 years (19.1).
Among TBI-related deaths in 2014:
Rates were highest for persons 75 years of age and older.
The leading cause of TBI-related deaths varied by age:
Falls were the leading cause of death for persons 65 years of age or older.
Intentional self-harm was the leading cause of death for persons 45-64 years of age.
Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for persons 15-24, 25-34, and older adults aged ≥75 years.
Homicide was the leading cause of death for children ages 0-4 years.
Among TBI-related ED visits and hospitalizations in 2014:
Hospitalization rates were highest among persons 75 years of age and older.
Rates of ED visits were highest for persons 75 years of age and older and children 0-4 years of age.
The leading cause of TBI-related ED visits varied by age:
Falls were the leading cause of ED visits among young children aged 0 to 4 years and older adults 65 years and older.
Being struck by or against an object was highest among those 5 to 14 years of age.
The leading cause of TBI-related hospitalizations varied by age:
Falls were the leading cause of hospitalizations among children 0 to 17 years and adults 55 years of age and older.
Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of hospitalizations for adolescents and adults aged 15 to 44 years of age.
What are the costs of TBI?
Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 1995.
Previous information from CDC Website, March 26, 2021. For more information, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
