There are two types of brain injuries: (1) traumatic and (2) non-traumatic.

A non-traumatic brain injury is caused by something inside the body, like a stroke, infection, tumor, lack of oxygen, or exposure to a toxin.

A traumatic brain injury happens when a sufficient external force outside the body or brain causes damage to the brain tissue or disrupts brain function. The outside force could be the head hitting or being hit by an object, something penetrating the skull and brain, a force causing the body and head to move suddenly and the brain to accelerate or decelerate and move inside the skull, forces from a blast, or other forces.

To learn more about brain injuries keep exploring the FAQs or go to our Brain Injury Guide for even more in-depth information.

Yes. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury. The term “concussion” is often used interchangeably with “mild traumatic brain injury,” while others in brain injury science consider it to be on the mildest end of the spectrum of a “mild traumatic brain injury.” Either way, a concussion is a traumatic brain injury and should be taken seriously.

No. Every brain injury is different, and the impact varies from person to person. This is largely because every person is different with their own unique genetics, demographics, and medical history. Depending on the location of the brain injured, the impairments a person may experience can vary significantly. 

There are different classifications of brain injury severity that includes: (1) Mild; (2) Moderate; and (3) Severe.

A “concussion” is generally used interchangeably with a mild TBI. However, some professional organizations consider a concussion to be a subset of mild TBI on the mildest end of mild TBIs.  

To read more about the classification of brain injury severity, upcoming changes to the current classification criteria that are likely to happen in the near future, and the why this is important for lawyers, go to our Brain Injury Guide.

No. A traumatic brain injury can occur without hitting your head. This is a common misunderstanding and why it is important to see a doctor who specializes in TBI even if you have questions about whether you suffered a TBI and did not or are unsure if you hit your head.

To read more about how a person can sustain a brain injury without hitting their head, go to our Brain Injury Guide.

No. A traumatic brain injury can occur without losing consciousness or being knocked out. This is a common misunderstanding and why it is important to see a doctor who specializes in TBI even if you have questions about whether you suffered a TBI and did not or are unsure if you lost consciousness.

To read more about how a person can sustain a brain injury without losing consciousness or being knocked out, go to our Brain Injury Guide.

No. A brain injury can be and is typically diagnosed without having a CT scan or an MRI of the brain. To read more about how a brain injury is diagnosed go to our Brain Injury Guide.

Yes. You can suffer a traumatic brain injury and have a normal or negative CT scan and MRI of the brain. To read more about how a CT scan and MRI can be normal but a person can still suffer a brain injury go to our Brain Injury Guide.

Typical symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include:

• Physical symptoms: headaches, head pressure, nausea, vomiting, sleep changes, fatigue, weakness in the face or limbs, hearing problems, tinnitus, visual field loss, blurred vision, double vision, eye movement and tracking problems, changes in taste or smell, bad taste in mouth, spasticity, aphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria, dizziness, balance or coordination problems, seizures, and sensitivity to light and/or noise.

• Communication problems: difficulty finding words, reading, understanding written and verbal communication, and writing.

• Cognitive or Mental issues: deficits in attention, concentration, memory, speed of processing, new learning, planning, reasoning, judgment, self-awareness, problem solving, abstract thinking, visual spatial, mental or brain fog or fatigue, feeling dazed or hazy, confused, or disoriented.

• Behavioral or emotional changes: depression or anxiety, agitation, irritability, impulsivity, aggression, easily losing temper, or lack of motivation or energy.

Clinical signs of a traumatic brain injury include:

• Loss of consciousnessimmediately following the injury.

• Alteration of mental status immediately following the injury.

• Complete to partial amnesia for events immediately following or before the injury.

• Significant drowsiness or inability to wake up, slurred speech, numbness, weakness or difficulty with motor coordination, pupil size asymmetry, repeated vomiting, shaking/twitching or seizures, significant restlessness, agitation or confusion, severe headache that keeps getting worse, or fluid draining from the nose or ears.

To read more about these signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury in greater detail go to our Brain Injury Guide.

There are two stages of a traumatic brain injury - the Primary Injury and the Secondary Injury.

The Primary Injury is the injury that occurs at the time of initial trauma that causes structural or functional disturbance, such as bleeding, bruising, swelling, cuts, tears, shearing of nerves, or diffuse axonal injury.

The Secondary Injury exacerbates the initial damage and leads to further damage and dysfunction. Various mechanisms occur in the brain after an initial injury, which may include decreased blood or oxygen supply, inflammation, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysfunction. These secondary mechanisms lead to harmful events that can change normal brain functions and lead to cellular impairment, degeneration, and death. Secondary Injury occurs over time, from minutes to days after the initial insult and the inflammatory response is believe to continue for years after injury.

Understanding and proving how trauma causes damage to the brain is important to a successful legal case and obtaining full and fair value for our clients.

To learn more about how we can help contact us at

• 303-831-1116

• info@bikebrainlaw.com

• Contact Us

Contrary to popular belief, a TBI can occur without hitting your head or blacking out. Symptoms can be different for everyone and manifest as cognitive, physical, or emotional changes, similar to everyday issues like headaches, fatigue, forgetfulness, balance problems, or blurred vision. Symptoms may also not be immediately recognizable and take time. Studies show that 40% to 50% of patients with mild TBIs who go to the ER do not receive a documented TBI diagnosis.

If you’ve been involved in an incident like a car crash, a bicycle crash, or another situation where you may have suffered a head injury even without direct impact of your head like violent whiplash movement of the head forwards and backwards, seek immediate medical attention. Then Contact Us for free through our website or call (303) 831-1116 to learn how to protect your legal rights.