If you think you’ve suffered more debilitating symptoms as a result of your concussion, you may have suffered another type of traumatic brain injury. Different types of traumatic brain injuries after a car accident include: Concussion – The most common type of traumatic brain injury, concussions are most often caused by whiplash. Contusion -Caused as a result of a direct impact to the head, contusions are bruises on the brain. Large contusions may need to be surgically removed. Coup-contrecoup – This type of traumatic brain injury is a contusion that occurs both at the site of impact on the opposite side of the brain. Diffuse-axonal injury – This injury can be caused by a strong rotation of the head, such as when produced by the rotational forces of a car accident. This causes extensive tearing of nerve tissue throughout the brain. Penetration – This type of injury is caused when fragments or objects force themselves into the brain, and usually signal very violent impact or collision.