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Although it may not seem something you need to worry about, impact brain injuries are unfortunately all too common. Impact brain injures are also something that can happen at any time, for example at work, or when walking down the street. An impact brain injury is a bang to the head that causes the brain to move within the skull and is assessed in different degrees of severity. What's more if you are thinking of legal action related to this type of injury you will need to deal with a specialist brain injury lawyer in order to receive the maximum level of compensation possible.

A skull fracture is when the skull is broken or crushed due to impact. The damage can range from a simple linear fracture, which shouldn't require surgery, to depressed and basilar factures that often lead to hospitalisation, surgery and observation. What's more skull fractures can result in open head injuries or closed head injuries depending on the severity of the impact. Of course all of these fractures can be temporary, leaving no lasting brain damage, or can lead to lasting brain damage.

Brain injuries come in three states of severity: mild, moderate, or severe. It should be apparent that each level of severity is worse than the one preceding it. Mild brain injury is an impact that temporarily alters the victim's mental status at time of injury. For example you may fall unconscious or experience profound confusion. Recovery from mild brain injury is extremely likely.

Moderate brain injury can also be recovered from easily although there will be some ongoing treatment. This level of injury is accompanied by physical, cognitive or behavioural impairments, which can usually be overcome. For example, Alan, aged 53, fell 30 feet whilst cleaning windows at a shopping centre. He suffered a severe fracture and a psychological reaction. However with expert treatment, including occupational therapy and rehabilitation, he can now lead a relatively normal and rewarding life.

Severe brain injury leads to long-term damage and may result in the patient losing consciousness, or entering a coma, for days, weeks or months. Stephen suffered a severe brain injury after being hit by a taxi when leaving a nightclub. Unfortunately the severity of the impact means that he can no longer speak or swallow and has to be fed through a feeding tube. He will also need 24-hour care for the rest of his life.

The main problem with any kind of brain injury is that it can fairly difficult to find the expert legal advice that you will need in order to receive the right level of compensation. Without a specialist brain injury lawyer, who knows the effect of damage and legislation surrounding brain injuries, you are likely to find yourself going round in legal circles. In fact both of the case studies mentioned above were mired in a legal purgatory until they approached a specialist brain injury lawyer.

Brain injury lawyers provide expert advice on brain injuries in general and can also provide information on specialist brain injury lawyers should you need one in the future.