Brain Injury Lawyers

The Brain Injury Association of America divides head injuries into two basic types: 1) closed head injuries in which the head sustains an impact from an outside force but the skull does not fracture or displace; and 2) open head injuries involving penetration by an object or fractures of the skull. The association lists the following types of brain injuries:

• Concussion: Trauma caused by impact or sudden momentum or movement change in both open and closed head injuries.
• Diffuse Axonal Injury: Caused by shaking or strong rotation of the head, when the brain lags behind the movement of the skull.
• Contusion: A bruise or bleeding on the brain resulting from direct impact to the head.
• Coup-Contrecoup Injury: Contusions at the site of impact and on the opposite side of the brain, caused when the force of impact slams the brain into the opposite side of the skull.
• Penetrating Injury: This occurs when an object such as a bullet or knife penetrates the skull and damages the brain.
• Second Impact Syndrome: When a second traumatic brain injury is sustained before the brain heals from the first traumatic brain injury, the second impact is likely to cause swelling and widespread damage to the brain.