May is National Trauma Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the toll that trauma takes on our community. Put simply, physical trauma is any physical contact that is severe or penetrating, such as a knock to the head from an accident or violent attack. Physical trauma results in thousands of deaths every year, as well as countless debilitating injuries that leave people wracked with pain.
The American Trauma Society (ATS) was formed in 1968 to increase the awareness of trauma. This focus has led to improvements in trauma care in hospitals and other facilities, which have managed to improve the lives of trauma victims.
Trauma can also be emotional. Traumatic emotional events can also include experiencing sexual assault or abuse, especially when young, or experiencing other devastating incidents such as going to war. Emotional trauma can be a single, isolated event or be repetitive in nature, as when people are put into stressful situations.
By understanding trauma, we can encourage victims to make a complete recovery. The physical and emotional effects of traumatic experiences often continue for years, so continuing care is a key concern.
Gun Injury Prevention—a Focus for 2019
ATS has also spent a considerable amount of time raising awareness about how to avoid trauma in the first place. Many traumatic injuries are caused by accidents, which are entirely avoidable. For 2019, the Society has chosen to focus on firearm injury prevention. Though this is controversial topic, the ATS approach can yield substantial improvements in overall safety.
Firearm injuries result in nearly 40,000 deaths each year, according to ATS. Violence between people also makes up about 1/8 of all medical spending on injuries each year—an astounding amount. Firearms can cause devastating injuries to the head, back, and limbs.
ATS has decided to focus on 5 areas of safety in 2019:
- Hunter safety. Requiring hunter safety courses can dramatically reduce the number of accidental shootings. New York state, for example, saw a significant decline in the number of hunting-related injuries.
- Firearm safety practices. Safe handling of guns and storage can reduce accidental injuries. For example, firearms should be locked up when not used, and bullets should be stored separately.
- Firearms and suicides. Most deaths by firearms are suicides. Making mental health a priority is key.
- Urban violence. The homicide rate in cities is roughly twice as high as the rest of the country. Tackling urban gun violence is complicated but nevertheless pressing.
- Stop the bleed. Training people to know how to stop bleeding can reduce the number of deaths.
If Austin can put into practice each recommendation, then traumatic accidents would fall considerably.
Representing Those Injured in Traumatic Accidents
If you have been involved in an accident, whether a slip and fall or a motor vehicle accident, you need an experienced attorney who knows how to represent your rights.
At DJC Law, our personal injury attorneys have helped many clients get the compensation they need to start over. For more information about what we can do, please give us a call at 512-888-9999. We offer a free, confidential case review.