Brain Injury Types: An Index for Injured People and Their Families

Which brain injury pages are on this site?

Every injury type in the plan for this site is listed below. Pages that are not published yet are shown without a link.

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)How a TBI is proven and why insurers push back.
• ConcussionWhen a concussion supports a claim, and what records matter.
• Post-concussion syndromeSymptoms that last for months after the injury.
• Mild traumatic brain injuryWhy a "mild" label in the ER chart can mislead.
• Closed head injuryBrain damage with no visible wound or skull break.
• Diffuse axonal injuryNerve fiber damage from rapid movement of the brain.
• Anoxic and hypoxic brain injuryInjury caused by a loss or shortage of oxygen.
• Brain bleedsSubdural, epidural and other bleeding after trauma.
• Skull fractureFractures and the brain injuries that come with them.
• Brain injuries in childrenHow a child’s brain injury claim differs.
• Fatal brain injuriesClaims a family can bring after a fatal brain injury.
• Penetrating head injuryInjuries where an object breaks through the skull.

How are brain injuries grouped?

Doctors separate injuries caused by force from injuries caused by a lack of oxygen, and closed injuries from penetrating ones.

• Traumatic injuries come from a blow, a jolt or an object entering the skull. The CDC includes injuries where the head never strikes anything, such as a sudden stop in a crash.
• Closed injuries leave the skull intact. Concussion and diffuse axonal injury are examples.
• Penetrating injuries involve an object or bone fragment breaking through the skull.
• Anoxic and hypoxic injuries come from a loss or shortage of oxygen, for example during a medical error or a near drowning.

NINDS notes that even injuries classed as mild can leave symptoms that last months or longer, which is why the label in the emergency room chart rarely settles the question of how serious the injury is.

What if the diagnosis is not clear yet?

That is common. Many brain injuries are diagnosed weeks after the accident, once symptoms such as memory problems, headaches or mood changes become obvious. A claim does not need a final diagnosis to start. It does need the symptoms reported to a doctor and written down as they appear.

Most Maryland personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the injury. Claims involving children, government bodies and medical care follow different rules, and some require written notice much sooner.