NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
Types and Classification of Brain Injury Lawyer
Brain Injury Recoveries
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Have Been Recovered for Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death Victims
Fill out and submit the form below for a confidential legal review:
"*" indicates required fields
What Are the Different Types and Classifications of Brain Injuries?
Please note that this resource focuses on brain injury symptoms in adults. If your child was injured, please visit The Killino Firm’s dedicated Child & Birth Injury Lawyers page for experienced legal guidance.
Brain injuries are broadly classified into two main categories: Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), which are caused by an external physical force, and Non-Traumatic (Acquired) Brain Injuries, which are caused by internal factors like illness or a lack of oxygen (anoxia), such as from a nonfatal drowning. Because the brain is incredibly complex, the specific type of injury—such as a concussion, contusion, or diffuse axonal injury—dictates the patient’s symptoms, recovery timeline, and lifelong care needs.
Key Brain Injury Statistics (2024–2026 CDC & BIAA Data)
- Frequency: Every 9 seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a brain injury.
- Annual Impact: Over 2.8 million Americans sustain a TBI each year, resulting in 2.9 million emergency department visits, 214,000 hospitalizations, and 69,000 deaths.
- Long-Term Disability: Approximately 11.4 million U.S. adults are currently living with a TBI-related disability.
- Economic Toll: The total annual cost of TBIs in the United States exceeds $76.5 billion, including $40.6 billion in direct medical costs and $36 billion in lost wages and productivity.
At The Killino Firm, our nationally recognized brain injury attorneys have handled complex, catastrophic brain injury claims across the country. If someone else’s negligence changed your life, we work to secure the financial compensation you need.
What Are the Specific Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)?
A Traumatic Brain Injury can occur when an external mechanical force—like a violent blow, jolt, or penetrating object—disrupts normal brain function. These are the most common types of TBIs seen in motor vehicle collisions, falls, and workplace accidents:
Concussions (Mild TBI)
A concussion occurs when a sudden impact or violent shaking causes the brain to slide back and forth forcefully against the inner walls of the skull.
- The “Mild” Misconception: Though classified medically as “mild” because they are rarely life-threatening in the short term, concussions can cause severe, long-lasting issues including chronic headaches, memory loss, profound fatigue, and sleep disruption.
- Second Impact Syndrome (SIS): If a person suffers a second concussion before the first one has fully healed, it can cause rapid, often fatal brain swelling.
Brain Contusions
A contusion is a localized bruise (bleeding) in the brain tissue, typically caused by a direct, blunt impact to the head.
- Risks: Because the skull cannot expand, significant bleeding or swelling from a severe contusion increases intracranial pressure. In serious cases, this localized bleeding may need to be surgically removed to prevent catastrophic brain damage.
Coup-Contrecoup Injuries
A “coup-contrecoup” injury is actually two separate injuries occurring simultaneously. When the head sustains a severe and sudden impact, the brain slams into the skull at the site of the impact (the coup injury). The force then causes the brain to rebound and slam into the opposite side of the skull (the contrecoup injury). This specific injury is highly common in high-speed auto accidents and violent rollover crashes.
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)
Unlike a contusion, which is localized to one spot, Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) causes widespread, microscopic damage throughout the brain.
- Mechanism: DAI is caused by severe rotational or “shearing” forces—such as when a vehicle violently spins. These extreme forces tear the axons (the long connecting nerve fibers in the brain).
- Impact: Because the tearing is microscopic, DAI often does not show up well on standard CT scans. The tearing disrupts the brain’s ability to transmit chemical and electrical messages, frequently resulting in prolonged comas and permanent cognitive impairment.
Penetrating Brain Injuries
An open or penetrating brain injury occurs when an object breaches the scalp, fractures the skull, and enters the brain tissue. In addition to the massive localized trauma, penetrating injuries (such as debris from a commercial truck accident or a gunshot wound) carry a severe risk of secondary infection.
How Is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Severity Classified?
Clinicians assess TBI severity using several features of the acute injury, including loss-of-consciousness duration, post-traumatic amnesia, alteration in mental status, and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). LOC duration alone does not determine severity or predict a person’s recovery.
Under the VA/DoD classification:
- Mild TBI, often called concussion: LOC of 0 to 30 minutes; GCS 13 to 15.
- Moderate TBI: LOC over 30 minutes but less than 24 hours; GCS 9 to 12.
- Severe TBI: LOC over 24 hours; GCS below 9.
- The classification also considers other acute-injury measures, including post-traumatic amnesia. Severe TBI can have serious consequences, but severity criteria alone do not establish an individual’s prognosis or whether damage will be permanent.
What Are the Mechanisms of Brain Damage?
Medical professionals evaluate head injuries based on how the force interacted with the skull, the timing of the damage, and the distribution of the tissue damage:
What are Open vs. Closed Head Injuries?
- Closed Head Injury: An injury caused by a blunt impact or violent shaking that does not fracture the skull (e.g., Concussions, DAI).
- Open (Penetrating) Head Injury: An injury where an object fractures the skull and breaches the scalp and brain tissue.
What is the Difference Between Primary and Secondary Injuries?
- Primary Injury: The immediate, structural damage that happens at the exact moment of mechanical impact, such as a skull fracture or surface bruising.
- Secondary Injury: The delayed, reactive biological processes that occur in the hours or days following the initial impact. This includes progressive brain swelling (edema), increased intracranial pressure, or oxygen deprivation, which can impose catastrophic damage on an already compromised brain.
How Do Focal and Diffuse Injuries Compare?
- Focal Injury: Damage confined to a specific, localized area of the brain, such as a contusion.
- Diffuse Injury: Widespread damage across multiple areas of the brain, such as Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) or hypoxic brain damage.
What is the Difference Between Anoxic, Hypoxic, and Toxic Brain Injuries?
Not all brain injuries are caused by a physical blow to the head. While events like near-drowning or poisoning are highly traumatic, they result in what doctors classify as “non-traumatic” or acquired brain injuries. In these cases, the damage comes not from a mechanical impact, but from internal factors like oxygen deprivation or chemical exposure that destroy the brain’s cellular structure.
Anoxic Brain Injuries
An anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is completely deprived of oxygen. The brain uses 20% of the body’s oxygen; without it, brain cells begin dying within five minutes.
- Common Causes: Drowning, severe choking, strangulation, or cardiac arrest.
- Impact: Anoxia primarily damages the brain’s grey matter and can quickly lead to irreversible vegetative states or death.
Hypoxic Brain Injuries
A hypoxic brain injury occurs when the brain receives some oxygen, but not enough to sustain normal cellular function.
- Common Causes: Carbon monoxide poisoning, surgical errors, or severely low blood pressure.
- Impact: Depending on the duration of the oxygen restriction, victims may suffer from severe memory loss, motor function impairment, and personality changes.
Toxic Brain Injuries
Exposure to dangerous neurotoxins can physically damage brain tissue over time. This is common with prolonged exposure to heavy metals (like lead or mercury) or workplace toxins.
Who is Most at Risk for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Brain injuries can happen to anyone, but recent CDC surveillance reports highlight stark statistical disparities regarding who is most severely impacted:
- Leading Causes: Falls are responsible for nearly 48% of all TBI-related hospitalizations, followed by motor vehicle crashes and firearm-related injuries.
- Age Factors: People aged 75 and older account for about 32% of all TBI-related hospitalizations and 28% of TBI-related deaths.
- Gender Disparities: Statistically, males are nearly two times more likely to be hospitalized for a TBI and three times more likely to die from a TBI than females.
How Can The Killino Firm Help You Recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury?
The financial toll of a severe brain injury is staggering. When insurance companies try to minimize these costs, you need a nationally recognized legal team like The Killino Firm to fight back.
At The Killino Firm, we build compelling cases designed for maximum compensation by:
- Consulting with Leading Medical Experts: We collaborate with specialized medical professionals who use advanced neuroimaging, such as DTI and PET scans. By reviewing these diagnostics with experts, we can prove the existence of microscopic nerve damage (like DAI) that standard emergency room CT scans often miss.
- Partnering with Top Forensic Experts: We collaborate with elite life care planners and forensic economists to accurately calculate your exact lifelong medical needs and lost earning capacity.
- Investigating the Root Cause: We deploy accident reconstructionists and biomechanical engineers to prove exactly how the trauma occurred and who is legally at fault.
- Preparing for Trial: Insurance companies know which firms settle and which go to court. We prepare every case for a jury, forcing corporate defendants to offer fair, comprehensive settlements.
You should not carry this burden alone. Contact The Killino Firm today for a free, confidential consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Injuries
Is a concussion a traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
Yes, a concussion is medically classified as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, the term “mild” can be misleading. A concussion occurs when the brain forcefully impacts the inside of the skull, which can result in severe, long-term complications such as cognitive deficits, chronic headaches, memory loss, and emotional volatility.
Can you sue for a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion?
Yes, you can often file a personal injury lawsuit for a mild TBI or concussion if the injury was caused by another party’s negligence. Because concussions often require specialized neurological therapy, ongoing medical care, and result in missed time from work, victims have the right to seek financial compensation from the at-fault driver, property owner, or negligent party to cover these lifetime costs.
What is the difference between a concussion and a brain contusion?
The primary difference is that a concussion is a functional injury caused by the brain shaking, while a brain contusion is a physical, localized bruise on the brain tissue. A concussion affects wide areas of brain function without necessarily causing visible bleeding. In contrast, a contusion involves broken blood vessels and localized bleeding at a specific impact site, which can dangerously increase pressure inside the skull.
How is a diffuse axonal injury (DAI) diagnosed?
Diffuse axonal injury is typically diagnosed using an MRI or Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), because standard emergency room CT scans often fail to detect it. DAI involves microscopic tearing of the brain’s nerve fibers (axons) caused by severe rotational forces, such as those in a high-speed car crash. Because these tears are microscopic, neurologists rely on advanced imaging and prolonged loss of consciousness to confirm the diagnosis.
Can anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries be considered medical malpractice?
Yes, anoxic (no oxygen) and hypoxic (low oxygen) brain injuries are frequently the basis for medical malpractice lawsuits. If a healthcare provider fails to monitor a patient’s airway, administers anesthesia incorrectly, or delays responding to fetal distress during childbirth, they can be held legally liable for the resulting permanent brain damage.
Testimonials
C
Courtney S
2 years ago
We contacted this firm when our son suffered a birth injury. They listened to our potential case and took us on. They helped us all the way through the process, always took my calls and questions. Killino is very passionate about his work and it felt like he was upset for our son like he was his own child. The paralegal, Kayla, was always on top of things and helpful. The whole firm that we worked with really did their best for us and now we have what we need to care for our son. We couldn’t be more grateful.
R
Reggie B
2 years ago
Jeff and his team at Killino Law Firm are truly exceptional! They took on my daughter’s challenging case when no one else would, and their dedication, expertise, and compassion made all the difference. Thanks to their amazing work, we can now take care of our daughter for the rest of her life. Jeff handled everything with professionalism and kept us informed every step of the way. If you’re in need of a personal injury & accident lawyer, look no further—Jeff is your guy. I can’t recommend him and his exceptional team enough!
C
Corey E
3 years ago
The Killino firm is an excellent firm that tirelessly advocates on behalf of their clients. I’ve come across a lot of great personal injury attorneys in my time and simply put, Killino is the best.
Courtney S
Reggie B
Corey E
Jeanne Y
Trisha H
Michaelene C
Rhonda L
The Killino Firm Changes Lives
In the aftermath of a wrongful death or catastrophic injury, particularly those involving babies and children, victims and their families are forced into the new “normal”. Their lives are often characterized by multiple facets of struggle; physical, medical and financial. The worry and stress can be unbearable. But, that is where the Killino Firm steps in.
Time and again for over two decades Jeffrey Killino has changed the lives of his clients and their families with recoveries that will provide for all future medical care and day to day needs. The Killino Firm clients are regularly purchasing new homes and vehicles; securing much needed medical care and assistance; and sleeping better at night know there are millions of dollars to take care of them for the rest of their lives.
Yes, the Killino Firm regularly secures multi-million dollar settlements and/or verdicts, however, we measure our true success in terms of how we change our clients’ lives. The Killino Firm is dedicated to its clients and their plight. After the cases are over, the Killino Firm stays involved and available to it’s clients as the journey continues.
At the Killino Firm we care about our clients and we care about our community, which is why from time to time when we uncover a hazard or danger with the potential to harm others, the Killino Firm takes action to alert the public and appropriate regulatory authorities.
