Florida Man Suffers Traumatic Brain Injury in Accident
A Florida man was struck by an SUV while jogging last week and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. David Caras, 51, of St. Petersburg, was jogging at the Layton Hills Mall in Utah on August 28 during a business trip when he was struck.
Mr. Caras was in Utah on a business trip to the Hill Air Force Base at the time of the accident and had plans to return home the next day. The accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. when he was hit by a woman driving a Ford Explorer and dragged for a short distance by the vehicle. After he was hit, Mr. Caras was airlifted to the University of Utah hospital. He lost a leg as a result of the accident, and an MRI revealed traumatic brain injury – a common injury associated with serious head trauma.
The woman driving the Ford Explorer has not been charged yet with any wrongdoing. Because the accident took place on private property, the police may only charge her criminally if the accident results in homicide. However, Mr. Caras and his family have the option of seeking other, civil remedies against the driver for her actions.
Mr. Caras is well known around the Florida area for his work as an area coordinator for Southeastern Guide Dogs, an organization that provides seeing-eye dogs to disabled people as well as companions for war veterans.
Florida Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. TBI can range anywhere from mild to severe in magnitude. In 2011, Florida had 3,551 deaths that were caused by traumatic brain injury. In addition, another 18,006 people were sent to the emergency or hospital with nonfatal TBI accidents.
Men are far more likely than women to suffer from TBI, and they accounted for almost three-quarters of Florida’s TBI deaths in 2011. They also attributed to 60 % of all nonfatal TBI hospital visits. For the same year, motor vehicle accidents caused 18% of all fatal traumatic brain injuries and 27% of nonfatal ones. It was the third and second most common cause of fatal and nonfatal TBI, respectively.
The economic impact of TBI is also substantial in Florida. For nonfatal traumatic brain injuries, the median stay in a hospital was three days in 2011. The median admission charge was $37,515 and total charges for all TBI hospital stays topped $1.3 billion. These numbers only account for the hospital bills and do not take into account the lost wages or other expenses that come with TBI.
Call a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney Today
Representing an individual suffering from a traumatic brain injury can be extremely complex both legally and medically. If you have a loved one with a TBI, let the experts at Gary Roberts & Associates, P.A. help. Call us today at 561-686-1800 or contact us today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.
