Jules Bianchi Dies After Suffering Traumatic Brain Injury

The severe head trauma suffered by racing driver Jules Bianchi in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday (4 October) when he collided with a recovery vehicle has been described by his family and medical support team as a diffuse axonal injury.

His injury is one of the most common – and potentially one of the most devastating – traumatic brain injuries (TBI), occurring in half of all brain traumas. Diffuse axonal injury is caused by the brain moving backwards and forwards in the skull as a result of acceleration or deceleration.

According to BrainandSpinalCord.org, a US resource for brain and spinal cord injury survivors, tissues sliding across each other cause a shearing injury which disrupts the ability of neurons to send messages and that can lead to the lesions responsible for unconsciousness and the vegetative state that often follows a very severe head injury.

Mild concussion is considered to be a form of diffuse axonal injury; at the opposite end of the spectrum, many survivors of severe injury may not regain consciousness and those that do can be severely impaired.

Bianchi remains in a critical but stable condition following surgery to remove a subdural haematoma.

What is the Brain Injury Group?

Brain Injury Group is a free service designed to connect those affected by a brain injury (whether there is a claim or not) to a range of experts who may be able to offer advice and assistance.

If you’d like to find out more about the work of Brain Injury Group, you are at the right place! You can follow the links below to:

The Brain Injury Group exists to support individuals and families affected by brain injury and the health and social care professionals working in this specialist field. Our mission is to provide anyone affected by brain injury with access to advice on legal, financial and welfare benefit issues delivered by proven experts in the field who have been chosen not only for their skills and knowledge, but also for their passion and dedication to helping people.

As well as providing legal and welfare advice, Brain Injury Group provide training for legal, health and social care professionals.

How can Brain Injury Group help you?

If you would like advice about bringing a brain injury claim, capacity, deputyships, managing the award of compensation or any other aspect of brain injury welfare, legal or financial advice, we have specialist brain injury solicitors and Court of Protection solicitors who can assist.

You can find full details of Brain Injury Group members on our website or there are several ways to get in touch: