Most Common Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

By Staff Writer

There are many different types of brain injuries, with the physical damage ranging from mild to moderate to severe. Brain injuries are also very unique to each individual, but they’re almost always life-changing and permanent.

There are two main categories of brain injuries: traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and acquired brain injuries. Acquired brain injuries are brought on by internal issues in the body — such as a stroke, degenerative disease or brain tumor — and aren’t originally triggered by some external force.

4 Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

For the purposes of this post, we’re going to focus on traumatic brain injuries. These types of brain injuries are a result of an external, blunt force.

1. Concussion
   Concussions are the most common type of TBI. They can result from a hard hit to the head, aggressive shaking (i.e. shaken baby syndrome), or even whiplash in a car accident. Concussions can cause damage to cranial nerves and blood vessels in the brain.
2. Cerebral Contusion
   A contusion happens when the brain tissue is bruised, which causes bleeding on the surface of the brain. This injury is usually the result of some type of direct force to the head, such as a head hitting a steering wheel in a car accident. There are also different types of contusions, including coup injuries (where the injury occurs at the place of impact) and contrecoup injuries (where the injury occurs at the opposite side of the brain from the place of impact).
3. Penetration
   Penetration injuries, like the name suggests, involve an object penetrating the skull and forcing pieces of that object (a bullet or sharp object) and hair, skin and/or pieces of bone into the brain. This type of brain injury is very life-threatening and usually results in extensive brain damage or death.
4. Diffuse Axonal
   Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a severe brain injury that impacts all areas of the brain. It happens as a result of the brain quickly moving inside the skull as trauma to the head or injury is occurring, which then severs the axons in the brain. This injury almost always puts a person in a coma. It can happen as a result of a car accident, a bad fall, or a sports injury.

If you or someone you know has suffered from a serious brain injury due to a car accident, slip and fall accident, or any other type of accident, let the legal experts at Gilreath & Associates help. Call us today for a free consultation.

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