Overview  

A brain injury can have serious consequences for the person who has suffered such an occurrence. Sometimes, a brain injury can be life threatening, and sometimes it can have life-altering implications for the victim. The severity of the consequences depends on the type of brain injury suffered by an individual. Brain injuries generally fall under two broad categories; traumatic brain injury and acquired brain injury.  

Traumatic Brain Injury 

Traumatic brain injury or TBI, as the term implies, is injury caused by an external force such as that resulting from an automobile accident, sports, falls and acts of violence. Sometimes TBI can result from whiplash as well. A concussion is one example of a traumatic brain injury. It can be caused by a direct blow to the head, such as that resulting from a fall, an accident or an act of violence. A concussion can cause blood vessels in the brain to stretch and cranial nerves to get damaged. In some cases, concussions can have associated bleeding in the brain. Another example of a traumatic brain injury is a coup contrecoup injury. This is an injury in which contusions, or severe bruising and bleeding occurs on the site of an external impact to the head and on the other side of the brain. Such injuries typically occur as the result of a severe impact to the head. An act of violence, in which a bullet or other object actually penetrates the brain, may be another cause for a traumatic brain injury. 

Acquired Brain Injury 

An acquired brain injury is something that results from tumors, degenerative diseases and incidents such as near drowning. In these cases, the injury typically is caused by conditions that lead to portions of the brain not receiving oxygen at all, or not receiving enough oxygenated blood. 

Brain injury levels 

Brain injuries can either be ‘mild traumatic’, ‘moderate traumatic’ or ‘severe’. A mild traumatic brain injury is the least severe and sometimes results in brief periods of loss of consciousnesses and temporary confusion. Individuals who suffer moderate traumatic injury, often experience prolonged periods of unconsciousness and confusion as well as motor or cognitive impairments than can sometimes be lifelong. Severe brain injuries, which usually stem from crushing blows to the head or from penetrating wounds, are usually the most dangerous form of injury. Such injuries can be life threatening and the damage to motor, behavioral and cognitive ability is

usually irreversible and lifelong.  

Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.