Three years ago, the actress Natasha Richardson fell during a beginner skiing lesson in Quebec, Canada. Three hours after twice refusing medical attention, she developed a headache and was admitted to a local hospital before being transferred to a Montreal Hospital in critical condition and then flown to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City the following day. She passed away on March 18, 2009, with an autopsy ruling the cause of her death was epidural hematoma, a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that is a syndrome of delayed massive brain swelling.
The video above is the story of Danny Toumarkine who, similar to Richardson, suffered a TBI while snowboarding in Montana. Toumarkine spent two weeks in a medically-induced coma and underwent four brain surgeries. The video about his story illustrates some of the difficulties involved in recovering from a TBI.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) unveiled a multi-year campaign theme of “Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone” with the supporting message “Brain injuries do not discriminate” to reinforce the frequency with which TBIs can occur. While many of TBI cases that garner headlines involve injuries incurred by those serving in the military or playing high-contact sports such as football, it is important to remember that TBIs do not occur in only those two activities.
Furthermore, Richardson’s death exemplifies how quickly a TBI can become fatal. Less than 10 percent of TBI cases involve a loss of consciousness. On Friday, we will look at some of the other ways in which people can sustain these injuries and the obstacles they face in recovering from them.
Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. – Orlando personal injury lawyers
