Charlotte Brain Injury Attorney

In the most general terms, brain injuries are divided into two categories: traumatic and non-traumatic.

Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries

Non-traumatic brain injuries, which are often referred to as “acquired brain injuries” (ABIs), are the result of internal factors, such as oxygen deprivation or pressure from a brain tumor.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

As the name implies, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the result of catastrophic events and external factors that cause severe damage to the brain.

Traumatic brain injuries are further classified as either open-head or closed-head injuries. While an open-head injury involves a penetrating object that enters the skull and causes damage to the brain, a closed-head injury occurs when the skull is not fractured but external forces are great enough to cause traumatic brain injury.

There are several different types of traumatic brain injuries. The most common include:

• Concussions: A concussion occurs when there is a sudden blow to the head or when external force causes the head to make impact with an outside object or surface. Though they are considered a relatively “mild” TBI, concussions should still be treated by a medical professional.
• Contusions: “Contusion” is the medical term for a bruise; a brain contusion, therefore, is a bruise that forms on the brain. Brain contusions are often caused by a blow to the head and typically occur in conjunction with another brain injury, such as a concussion.
• Diffuse Axonal Injury: A diffuse axonal injury (DAI) occurs when the brain moves violently within the skull, leading to microscopic tears (“shearing”) in the connections within the brain. Depending on the size of these tears, DAIs can be catastrophic or even fatal.
• Coup-Contrecoup: A coup-contrecoup injury occurs when an external force impacts the head, causing the brain to slam against the opposing side of the skull. This results in two points of injury and can lead to massive brain damage.