Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

Important Traumatic Brain Injury Terms

For those of us not well-versed in the medical or legal profession, the jargon associated with traumatic brain injuries can be confusing and intimidating. The following list attempts to explain some of the more common terms used in discussing traumatic brain injuries.

Acquired Brain Injury – Any injury to the brain which is not due to hereditary, genetic, degenerative, or congenital factors. Simply put, an acquired brain injury is any brain injury which a person “acquires” through outside factors during their life and not by factors determined before birth. Traumatic brain injuries fall under this category, as do some other, non-traumatic injuries.

Closed Head Injury – A brain injury in which the skull is intact and not compromised. Damage is caused by extreme impact, or accelerating/decelerating forces which cause the brain to rotate or bounce inside the skull.

Open Head Injury – The counterpart to a “closed head injury.” An open head injury involves penetration of the skull itself, and may involve direct damage to the brain.

Contusion – An injury to the brain which is similar to a bruise. Blood vessels in the brain rupture and begin leaking blood into the surrounding tissue.

Coma - A period of time during which a person has limited or no consciousness of his or her environment, does not respond to stimuli, and has difficulty maintaining arousal.

Concussion –An injury to the head caused by extreme or sudden forces. Causes impaired or altered brain functions, including memory loss, irritability, headaches, and personality changes, among others.

Edema – Swelling of the brain after trauma or injury. Is dangerous in itself because the brain can begin to press against the inside of the skull, causing further damage.

Hematoma – A pooling of blood inside the body. May occur inside the skull following a traumatic brain injury.

Hemorrhage – Uncontrolled bleeding.

For more information about traumatic brain injuries and what you can do if you or someone you love has suffered such an injury, contact a traumatic brain injury lawyer from Williams Kherkher. Call 866-950-9000 and set up your free initial consultation today.