About 100,000 of the most severely injured never return to meaningful, productive lifestyles. And, an estimated 750,000 a year require hospitalization, and another 100,000 result in death. 

     An astounding 1.9 million individuals, the lion's share of such injuries, suffer serious brain injuries that are largely viewed as inconsequential.  But, in reality such injuries cause devastating impairments that destroy lives just as effectively as more severe injuries.

    The problem for many such individuals is that their impairments may not be immediately apparent.  However, before long it becomes painfully clear that such individuals have been deeply changed in areas of thinking, mood and emotional control.  Many such individuals never resume their pre-injury lifestyles.  An alarming number spiral down into poverty and despair.. 

     Estimated annual cost for all conditions includes medical costs and indirect costs associated with death and loss of income.

Sources:  National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy and research