Sustained a Brain Injury After an Accident? Know Your Legal Rights and Options

June 20, 2025
Sandra Ribera

While any injury can affect your life, injuries to the brain are unique. Your brain controls your thoughts, emotions, movements, and so much more. So, a brain injury can change many aspects of your daily life. 

This article discusses injuries to the brain, also known as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), why TBIs can be devastating, and how a San Francisco brain injury attorney can help.  It also outlines different types of TBIs that are seen in a variety of injury cases, including car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bus accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, assaults, or falls.

What Is a Brain Injury (TBI)?

TBIs happen when an external force– such as a jolt or a blow to the head – causes damage to the brain. 

Common Types of TBIs in Injury Cases

There are several different types of TBIs one can incur if injured in an accident. Here are some examples:  

Concussions – Concussions are one of the most common TBIs. Concussions happen when the brain shifts within the skull. As the brain moves and twists in its limited space, brain cells are stretched and damaged. This change alters the brain’s chemical balance and processes. Even mild concussions can take weeks or months to heal completely. 

Brain Contusion – A contusion is a bruise. Brain contusions happen when a direct blow to the head causes part of the brain to hit the skull. This causes minor to moderate bleeding in the affected area of the brain. 

Brain Bleed – Like a contusion, a brain bleed happens after a direct impact. However, in a brain bleed, the impact ruptures the brain’s blood vessels, which leads to severe bleeding. This bleeding can happen between the brain and skull (a subdural hematoma) or within the brain tissue itself (an intracerebral hemorrhage). 

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) – Your brain is composed of cells called neurons. Neurons have long, thin parts called axons that carry messages to other neurons. After a high-speed accident, portions of your brain accelerate and decelerate at different rates. When two parts of the same object move at different speeds, it creates a process called shearing. Shearing stretches and tears the axons, which prevents them from carrying messages to other parts of the brain. 

Coup–Contrecoup Injury – In a coup-contrecoup injury (French for blow-counterblow), the brain is injured in two different places. First, one side of the brain strikes the skull. Then, as accident forces throw the body in the opposite direction, the other side of the brain also crashes into the skull. 

TBIs are very serious. They can affect crucial brain functions such as speech, movement, and behavior. Serious TBIs can cause permanent disability or even death.

TBIs can be categorized in several ways. Here are two examples:

  • Mild/moderate/severe 

Doctors use several factors to rate TBIs as mild (i.e., Grade 1), moderate (i.e., Grade 2), or severe (i.e., Grade 3). Depending on the type of brain injury, factors to consider in evaluating its severity include whether the person lost consciousness and for how long. Additional considerations also include the extent of axonal damage to the brain, as well as the location of the damage within the brain.  

  • Penetrating or non-penetrating

TBIs can also be characterized as penetrating (open) or non-penetrating (closed or blunt). In an open TBI, an object pierces the skull and damages the brain. In a closed injury, the skull remains intact, but the brain hits against the inside of the skull. 

How a San Francisco Injury Attorney Can Help You After a Brain Injury 

After an accident-related brain injury, you should consult a San Francisco brain injury attorney as soon as possible. 

Brain injuries can give rise to complex legal issues. For example, many TBIs have delayed symptoms. Because the signs may not appear immediately, insurance companies often argue that the injury isn’t related to the accident. Also, because many TBIs have symptoms that aren’t obvious, insurance companies try to downplay their severity. A brain injury attorney can help you respond to these claims. A brain injury lawyer can also help you by:

  • Investigating your accident, 
  • Assisting you in obtaining proper evaluation and medical treatment for your brain injury, 
  • Finding experts to support your case, 
  • Negotiating a fair settlement to compensate you for the losses you have suffered, and/or 
  • Taking your case to trial, if necessary. 

If you need help after experiencing a brain injury, which you believe was caused by a third party’s negligent, reckless, and/or intentional conduct, contact Ribera Law Firm. Our lead attorney, Sandra Ribera Speed, has extensive experience representing people with TBIs, including a high-profile case where her client suffered a severe brain injury on a San Francisco bus. Attorney Ribera Speed will always make herself available to you to assure you that your legal issues are being addressed to your satisfaction. To learn more about what Ribera Law Firm can do for you, call (415) 576-1600 or use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

Categories