Cleveland Brain Injury Lawyer

Types of Brain Injury

There are two different categories of acquired brain injuries: traumatic brain injuries and non-traumatic brain injuries. Which type of brain injury a person suffers depends on the underlying cause of the injury.

What is an Acquired Brain Injury?

An acquired brain injury is an umbrella term referring to both traumatic brain injuries and non-traumatic brain injuries. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, “an acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma.” This essentially means that the injury is not one that a person is born with or otherwise obtained during labor and delivery.

Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, refers to a brain injury caused by an outside force, such as a car accident or a serious slip and fall. It can be a result of blunt force trauma, wherein an object actually makes direct contact with the head, or a result of a sudden jerk so powerful that it causes the brain to actually shift inside the skull.

There are many different types of traumatic brain injury cases, some of which include:

• Concussion – A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. It is also considered to be particularly mild as far as TBIs go. A concussion is the result of the brain jolting around in the skull, often due to things like car accidents and sports injuries. While these mild TBIs don’t typically result in permanent brain damage, they can cause temporary damage and should be treated by a medical professional.

• Open Head Injury – An open head injury, or penetrating head injury, occurs when an object penetrates or fractures the skull and reaches the brain tissue. Examples of this catastrophic injury include a gunshot wound to the head or a shard of glass from a car windshield that pierces the skull. Unlike concussions, these are severe brain injuries that can result in significant damage, including lifelong impairment or even wrongful death.

• Closed Head Injury – Closed head injuries, as you might imagine, are injuries to the head that do not penetrate the skull. However, they are still considered serious brain injuries and can cause lasting damage. Brain bleeds, contusions, and swelling can occur as a result and may prove catastrophic or even fatal.

• Diffuse Axonal Injury – A diffuse axonal injury occurs as a result of the brain shifting inside the skull and tearing the axons (long connecting nerve fibers). This nerve damage can result in neurological dysfunction ranging from mild impairment to potentially falling into a coma.

• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy – This type of TBI that is a progressive brain condition that is often associated with high-contact sports such as football. This is because CTE’s occur as a result of recurring blows to the head. Although one concussion typically doesn’t cause lasting damage, when someone experiences multiple concussions in their lifetime, it can lead to brain degeneration and cause serious problems later on.

Non-Traumatic Brain Injury

Unlike in TBI cases, non-traumatic brain injuries are caused from internal factors rather than an outside opposing force. One example is a hypoxic brain injury. Hypoxic brain injuries result from a restricted flow of oxygen to the brain. Anoxic brain injuries, on the other hand, are caused by a complete lack of oxygen to the brain. In both hypoxic and anoxic brain injuries, the brain’s oxygen supply is interrupted, which can lead to brain cell death and irreversible damage.

Non-traumatic brain injuries can also be a result of a tumor, stroke, heart attack, drowning accident, aneurysm, toxic exposure, or an infectious disease.