Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not just a health crisis, it’s a financial one for the individual and the government, at large. According to a March 2026 CDC report, a compilation of more than a decade of research, “the average cost of nonfatal TBI injuries per person initially treated in an emergency department was approximately $4,530 in related medical spending and $1,500 in work loss over one year. These costs are higher for those who need inpatient care, with $51,241 in medical expenses and $6,110 in lost work.”

As everyone is at risk for a brain injury, understanding these costs is an important component in evaluating the impact of brain injury.

(Visit the CDC’s Economics of Injury and Violence Prevention page, published on March 16, 2026, to explore the full data and learn what policymakers are doing to address it.)