Personal Injury Lawyer Glossary
BODILY INJURY
A cut, abrasion, bruise, burn, or disfigurement; physical pain, illness, impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty; or any other injury to the body, no matter how temporary.
BURN
First degree burns: Minor burns of the first layer of skin.Second degree burns: Superficial partial-thickness burns injuring the first and second layer of skin.Third degree burns: Serious burns injuring all the skin layers and tissue under the skin.
CONCUSSION
Injury resulting from a sudden or violent shock to the head. May cause temporary loss of consciousness.
CONTUSION
Bruising and swelling of the brain.
DISC INJURY
Injury to the supporting discs (cushions) located between each spinal bone. Discs that are ruptured or cracked may cause extraordinary pressure resulting in back pain.
FRACTURE
A break, rupture, or crack, especially in bone or cartilage. Comminuted fracture: A fracture in which the bone is broken into several parts.Complicated fracture: A fracture of the bone combined with the lesion of some artery, nervous trunk, or joint. Compound fracture: A fracture in which there is an open wound from the surface down to the fracture. Simple fracture: A fracture in which the bone only is ruptured. It does not communicate with the surface by an open wound.
HEMATOMA
Blood clot that collects in or around the brain.
PARAPLEGIA
Complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord.
QUADRIPLEGIA
Complete paralysis of the body from the neck down, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord.
SOFT TISSUE INJURY
Injury to the ligaments, tendons and fibers of the body that connect the skeletal bones.
SPINAL CORD INJURY
Injury of the nerves contained within the spinal canal often associated with trauma to the spinal column (spine),Complete: Nerve damage obstructing all signals between the brain and body.Incomplete: Nerve damage obstructing some of the signals between the brain and body.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Serious injury to the head often resulting in severe and permanent damage to the brain. A bone may break or fracture when the force applied against it is greater than the strength of the bone itself. The severity of the fracture depends on several factors including the victim's overall health, age, and type of impact.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
1. Tearing - The sudden impact of the body colliding with another object (such as a car or baseball bat) may cause very delicate tissue in the brain to tear apart. Unfortunately, modern medical devices (x-ray, CT scan, MRI) often do not detect torn brain tissue. As a result, the injured patient may be given a clean bill of health when in fact there has been significant brain damage.
2. Bruising - Bruising, like tearing, is caused by impact to the skull. The impact forces the soft tissue of the brain into the much harder skull. The collision between the tissue and the skull may rupture small blood vessels allowing blood to escape into areas of the brain unsuitable for such blood. The unconfined blood places additional pressure on the brain tissue. This pressure may cause parts of the brain to stop functioning. As the brain is responsible for operating the most basic bodily functions (such as breathing), it can be quite perilous for any part of the brain to shut down.
3. Swelling - While swelling in most other body parts is not typically considered life threatening, swelling of the brain can be. When swelling occurs in other parts of the body, the tissue surrounding the injured area expands to relieve the pressure. The brain however is surrounded by the hard bone of the skull and therefore cannot expand to accommodate the swelling occurring inside. When the brain swells, the pressure inside the skull increases along with the likelihood of severe consequences as a result thereof.
Anoxic Brain Injuries
Anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is deprived its oxygen intake for some significant amount of time. Such deprivation may occur as a result of drowning, choking, strangulation, or other respiratory difficulties. The cells within the brain require oxygen (an therefore blood) to function. Lack of oxygen for a significant period causes the brain cells to die
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