What Is the Difference Between a Concussion and a Contusion?

In the United States, it is estimated that someone suffers a brain injury every 15 seconds. Brain injuries can stem from various causes and can pose a broad spectrum of risks to the health and well-being of patients. While some minor injuries may only result in mild symptoms, more severe injuries can cause lifelong disability or, in some cases, even death.

Given that head injuries are some of the most common injuries associated with motor vehicles and other accidents, it is important for accident victims and their families to know the signs and symptoms that might indicate a concussion or other serious brain injury. Let’s discuss some of the key signs and symptoms of brain injuries like concussions and contusions and explore how an experienced accident attorney can help accident victims seek compensation for their potentially life-changing injuries.

What is a concussion?

The Mayo Clinic defines a concussion as: “A mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function.” Concussions occur when a bump, blow, or rapid movement of the head causes the brain to move within the skull. When the brain moves or impacts the skull in this way, it can cause damage to nerves and blood vessels that play a role in neurological functioning.

Concussions are incredibly common forms of personal injury in the U.S. and are often caused by:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Slip and fall incidents
• Sports injuries
• Workplace accidents
• Physical assaults

Any activity involving high rates of speed or an increased risk of a head impact increases the likelihood of a concussion. That’s why athletes, construction workers, and cyclists often wear helmets for added protection. However, the average motorist, employee, or toddler does not typically sport a helmet when going about their daily activities. That’s why it is not uncommon for car accidents or slip and fall incidents to result in potentially dangerous head injuries that can have devastating consequences if not caught early.

What are the symptoms of a concussion?

Concussion symptoms can vary significantly depending on a variety of factors, such as the force of the head impact and the presence of protective equipment, as well as a person’s age or bone density.  Some concussion symptoms – such as loss of consciousness – occur immediately after an impact, while others take shape over time.

Some of the most common symptoms of a concussion include the following:

• Headache
• Confusion
• Temporary loss of consciousness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness/balance issues
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering
• Mood swings or irritability
• Sleep disturbances
• Vision changes

Most concussions resolve with rest and appropriate care, but some can lead to post-concussion syndrome or long-term complications. For this reason, it is important for any person who suffers a significant blow to the head to seek immediate medical attention to rule out dangerous side effects or the potential for other, more serious brain injuries. Early intervention is vital to ensuring a seemingly mild injury does not evolve into something more serious or even life-threatening.

What is a brain contusion?

The word “contusion” is the medical term for a bruise. Bruises can come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are caused by blood vessels tearing and leaking under the skin following some sort of impact. That being said, brain contusions are bruises on the brain matter that are caused by a direct impact to the head. When a patient suffers a brain contusion, they are likely to present with bleeding of the brain tissue which often causes significant neurological symptoms.

Many of the symptoms of a brain contusion overlap with those of a concussion, but the brain bleeding characteristic of contusions can cause more severe and long-lasting consequences, including:

• Persistent headaches
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty walking or performing other motor functions
• Memory loss
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness
• Weakness or numbness in limbs
• Vision loss

The symptoms of a brain contusion often present differently depending on where the bleeding is localized in the brain. If brain contusions are not caught early, their symptoms can increase in severity and cause more complex problems that may be difficult to treat.

Cerebral contusion vs. concussion: Key differences

While brain contusions have many symptoms in common with concussions, it is important to understand that these two types of traumatic brain injury are distinct from one another and often require different kinds of treatment. While concussions can occur as the direct result of a blow to the head, they can also occur as the result of a high-force impact to another part of the body.

For example, concussions often occur as a result of whiplash during a car accident. When a vehicle collides with something at a high rate of speed, a driver or passenger may find their head forcefully jerked back and forth, which can result in the brain moving within the skull.

This constitutes one major difference between concussions and contusions. While concussions may occur as the result of either direct or indirect force, brain contusions generally take shape as the result of a forceful blow directly to the head. While contusions may be minor in some cases, they generally tend to be more severe than concussions because they make structural — rather than functional — changes to the brain that may not resolve without medical intervention.

Legal implications of a brain contusion vs. concussion

Regardless of severity, both concussions and contusions may provide grounds for a personal injury claim when they result from someone else’s negligence. In South Carolina, a person may be found negligent if:

1. They owed a legal duty of care to another party
2. They breached that duty of care
3. The other party suffered identifiable harm
4. The harm experienced by the other party occurred as a direct result of the breached duty of care

Negligence can play a role in many different concussion and contusion cases. For example, if a grocery store owner was made aware of a spill on their floor and chose not to clean it up, the store owner may be held liable if a customer slips and falls on that surface. Similarly, if a distracted driver causes a traffic accident, the distracted driver’s failure to uphold the standard of care dictated by law may result in them being financially responsible for any injuries or property damage suffered by the other party in the accident.

Both contusions and concussions can come at hefty costs for injured parties both personally and financially, which is why establishing liability in accidents that result in traumatic brain injuries can be so vital to the recovery process. If an accident victim can demonstrate that their injuries were the direct result of another person’s negligence, the victim may be within their rights to seek compensation from the responsible party to help offset expenses related to their injuries.

Compensation in these cases may be sought for both economic and non-economic damages, including:

• Medical expenses
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost income or reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Long-term disability

Working with an experienced personal injury attorney can help you document your injuries, evaluate the scope of your economic and non-economic losses, and work to build a strong case against the negligent party who caused your brain injury.

Additional legal considerations

The legal process generally looks the same for head contusion vs. head concussion cases, but the specific legal guidelines for these cases may differ slightly in South Carolina as opposed to other U.S. states. Accident victims in South Carolina should know that they must file a personal injury claim within three years of their injury in order to recover damages.

Additionally, South Carolina is a “modified comparative negligence” state, which means that plaintiffs in personal injury cases must prove that they were not more than 50% responsible for an accident in order to collect damages. What’s more, if the court determines the plaintiff was partially responsible for his or her accident, their final award amount will be reduced commensurate with the percentage of fault they contributed. In practice, this means that if an injured party was found to be 10% at fault for their accident, the total amount of damages they would be entitled to under the law would be reduced by 10%.

Have more questions?

Understanding the difference between a concussion and a contusion is essential for anyone recovering from a head injury, particularly if they hope to file a personal injury claim for damages. If your injury was caused by another party’s negligence, a skilled personal injury lawyer can help you secure the compensation you deserve while you continue to invest in your recovery.

With over 20 years of experience supporting accident victims in South Carolina, McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC understands what it takes to fight for accident victims, even within a complex legal landscape. Give us a call today for a free case evaluation, and let’s discuss how McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC can help you get back on your feet.