A head injury can change your life in an instant. While they vary in severity, even a relatively minor head injury can lead to ongoing or long-term effects. If you were injured in an accident that wasn't your fault, you may be entitled to compensation that can address any physical and financial costs related to your injury, and the way head injuries are classified can influence the level of compensation you may be entitled to. Learning more about the different types of head injuries can also enable you to seek the medical care you need.

Here, the experienced personal injury solicitors at Switalskis explain how these potentially life-threatening injuries are classified in medical terms, which authorities have an obligation to prevent head injuries, and how you can seek compensation if they have failed to protect you from harm. If you suspect that you may have sustained an injury, or are experiencing symptoms such as loss of consciousness, severe headaches, or even light irritability, confusion or excess sleepiness, you should contact a doctor.

What are the three main categories of head injury?

In straightforward terms, the three main categories of head injury are minor, moderate, and severe. There are no single strict definitions of these categories, but medical professionals use recognised criteria to assess severity.

The most common way to classify brain injuries is by their severity, which means the extent to which the injury affects your brain's ability to function. Doctors use the Glasgow Coma Scale, which is a 15-point scale that looks at your speech, movement, and eye-opening, to measure the impact of an injury.

Mild head injuries and concussions

Mild head injuries include those from which the person will make a full recovery, but still need medical attention. A concussion is an example of a minor injury, and the most common type of head injury overall. Even though they are "mild," they can still cause problems. You may notice changes in sleep patterns, blurred vision or scalp sensitivity.

Symptoms can take hours or even days to present. You should always get a further medical follow-up if you continue to experience symptoms. A mild brain injury is still serious, and the classification of the injury as 'mild' only means the initial physical impact was less than a moderate or severe injury. You may still be entitled to claim compensation for a mild brain injury even when symptoms are not immediately visible.

Moderate head trauma

A moderate brain injury may involve a loss of consciousness that lasts from 15 minutes to six hours. The person will often be very confused and have physical symptoms like balance problems and nausea. Doctors may order a CT scan to check for internal bleeding or a blood clot in relevant cases. If these are detected, the brain injury can lead to longer-lasting cognitive issues that need specialist support.

Severe brain injury

A severe injury is a traumatic and often life-changing event. It often results in a coma or a prolonged state of unconsciousness. These injuries need immediate medical attention to manage increased intracranial pressure, and may lead to long-term disability even when suitable treatment is given.

If the pressure inside the skull isn't controlled, it will lead to permanent brain damage. A severe head injury can result from any strong force, including a direct blow or high-impact car accident.

In the context of a claim, we'll rely on an assessment by a medical professional to determine the severity of an injury and the best way to classify its impact on your life.

Are there other ways to classify head injuries?

Other approaches to categorising head injuries include by mechanism or by type of damage. The mechanism refers to how the injury happened, and whether it resulted in a closed or open injury, while classifying injuries by type of brain damage means looking at where the damage is located in the brain. Focal injuries are those where the damage is in one specific area, like a blood clot or a fractured skull bone. Diffuse injuries are those in which the damage is spread throughout the brain tissue.

Closed head injury

A closed head injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The skull stays intact, but the brain jolts backwards and forwards inside. This often happens in motor vehicle accidents, falls or sports injuries.

Even if the skull doesn't break, the brain tissue can be bruised or torn by the brain's movement within the skull during impact. The most severe form of closed head injury is commonly referred to as a "coup-contrecoup" injury.

Penetrating injuries

Open or penetrating injuries are often more severe. They happen when a foreign object breaks the skull and enters the brain. A foreign object penetrating the skull is always a medical emergency, as when an object breaks the skull bone, it can carry bacteria into the brain that can cause infections. These injuries always need surgery to remove the object and repair the bone. A penetrating object can cause severe focal damage in the brain region it enters.

When a skull fracture occurs, it may be deemed open or closed depending on whether the skin was broken.

Common symptoms of an acquired brain injury

You must always take a head injury seriously. Even if it seems minor at first, problems could arise later. For example, a shallow wound may hide a basilar skull fracture or other serious injury. If a blood clot forms underneath the skull (an epidural haematoma) as a result, this can lead to permanent brain damage. If you experience any of the following symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, speak to a doctor as soon as you can.

• A bump or bruise on the head
• A headache
• Feeling sick or dizzy
• Irritability or confusion
• Pale skin colour
• Seizures
• Changes in sleep patterns or blurred vision
• Loss of consciousness or severe headache
• Repeated vomiting or nausea.
• Dilated pupils (one pupil larger than the other)
• Slurred speech or inability to wake up
• Loss of fine motor skills or weakness in arms and legs

If you see that someone has an open wound or if the person is confused following an accident, seek immediate medical attention. A healthcare provider will check for a skull fracture or internal bleeding, and can also diagnose any whiplash type injuries or external trauma. In turn, this creates a medical record that can be key to securing compensation for the injury.

How does the severity of an injury affect compensation?

Compensation for a head injury depends on several factors, and is always calculated based on the specific circumstances of the accident and the injury. As such, the more serious and long-lasting the injury, particularly in traumatic brain injury cases, the higher the potential compensation. This is because a person with a severe injury that results in a brain haemorrhage or long-term medical condition will need more care over the long term, and will have experienced a greater loss of amenity than someone with a minor injury. For example, if the person is no longer able to play contact sports or partake in other activities that they used to enjoy, this will be factored into their compensation.

For head and brain injuries , our solicitors will start with the Judicial College Guidelines (used by courts to assess compensation), which give ranges for general damages (compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity) based on different types of injury. As such, while a TBI may result in more compensation than a shallow wound to the head, penetrating brain injuries will often result in the highest level of compensation.

How Switalskis can help with your head injury compensation claim

Dealing with a brain injury can uproot your life, but you don't have to face the process of recovery and adjustment alone. Switalskis provides expert, empathetic support in complex serious injury claims, and takes responsibility for the legal process, so that you can focus on your needs. We can help you secure the compensation you need to support your recovery and long-term care. Whether you've suffered a skull fracture in a car accident or a TBI at work, we are here for you.

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, contact our head injury solicitors today. Call Switalskis on 0800 138 0458 or get in touch via the form on our website.