August 1, 2025 | Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when the brain suffers physical damage. TBI levels reflect the type and severity of the person’s symptoms. Different types of TBI may require distinct treatments and prognoses. Thus, the classification of a TBI will often tell you about the current and future state of an injury. Continue reading to learn more about brain injuries.
4 Traumatic Brain Injury Categories
One way to classify traumatic brain injuries is by the cause.
The following four injuries can damage brain tissue:
1. Blunt Head Trauma
Blunt head trauma happens when the head suffers an impact without creating an open wound. Blunt force head injuries do not necessarily injure the brain.
However, in some cases, the impact jolts the brain. It may strike the inside of the skull, causing a cerebral contusion. Even if the brain does not hit the skull, the rapid motion can tear brain tissue, producing a subdural hematoma. Both of these injuries are life-threatening.
2. Penetrating Head Trauma
Penetrating head trauma happens when an object pierces the head. Again, not all penetrating injuries will affect the brain. During a construction accident, rebar might penetrate the face without entering the cranial vault that protects the brain.
If the object pierces the cranial vault, the victim could suffer severe brain damage. The object could tear blood vessels, causing bleeding. The brain tissue could be lacerated and crushed. Microorganisms from the object might cause an infection.
3. Injuries Without Direct Contact
You do not need to hit your head to suffer a TBI. Rapid acceleration or deceleration is enough to rattle the brain and damage brain tissues. As your head and neck whip around during a car accident, your brain experiences pressure from the cerebrospinal fluid and meninges that surround it. Similarly, explosions produce a pressure wave that can squeeze the brain.
In either case, pressure can damage brain cells, producing a concussion. Doctors consider concussions mild because they rarely cause long-term symptoms or death.
4. Anoxic and Hypoxic Injuries
Anoxic and hypoxic brain injuries occur when your brain does not receive oxygen. Anoxic means the brain receives no oxygen, while hypoxic means the brain receives too little oxygen. In both cases, the brain begins to suffer permanent damage within a few minutes.
These injuries can happen in many types of accidents, including drownings. Medical malpractice can also lead to anoxic or hypoxic injuries when surgical staff fail to monitor a patient’s airway while administering anesthesia.
3 Levels of Traumatic Brain Injury
When you suffer a brain injury, your symptoms determine the trauma level.
First responders and doctors typically use the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to classify brain injuries into the following three levels:
1. Mild
The Glasgow Coma Scale uses three tests to develop a composite rating. Thus, a poor score on one test might not necessarily result in a “severe” rating if the other two tests produce better scores.
These tests include:
- Eye response, determining whether and when the patient opened their eyes
- Motor response, including which muscles the patient can or cannot move
- Verbal response, reviewing the patient’s ability to respond to questions
After a mild injury, the patient will typically not lose consciousness or fail to open their eyes after the incident. They will move normally upon command. They can answer questions coherently, although they may answer incorrectly due to confusion.
2. Moderate
After a moderate injury, the patient might not open their eyes until prompted verbally. Similarly, they may only move when prompted with a touch. They may answer questions incoherently, mixing up words.
3. Severe
Severe injuries can produce extended unconsciousness. The victim might not be able to move, even when prompted. They might not answer questions or respond only with sounds rather than words.
Contact Our Brain Injury Law Firm in Florida
The nature and severity of brain injuries determine the prognosis, including the extent of any recovery. This information, in turn, helps lawyers and insurers determine the victim’s losses in any injury claims.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, please contact our experienced brain injury lawyers at Graves Thomas Injury Law Group to schedule a free consultation today. We have three convenient locations in Florida, including Vero Beach, St. Petersburg, and Port St. Lucie.
Graves Thomas Injury Law Group – Vero Beach
2651 20th St
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772) 758-5735
Graves Thomas Injury Law Group – St. Petersburg
200 Central Ave Suite 304
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(772) 569-8155
Graves Thomas Injury Law Group – Port St. Lucie
10805 SW Tradition Square Unit 024A
Port St. Lucie, FL 34987
(772) 617-8814
