--- title: "You Don't Need to Hit Your Head to Suffer a TBI" description: "Coup-contrecoup injuries, rotational forces, and whiplash can damage the brain inside the skull even without direct head impact." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "LegalService", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/#organization", "name": "Colorado Brain Injury & Bike Crash Attorneys | Bike Brain Law", "description": "Colorado brain injury and cycling accident attorneys serving Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins and statewide. Specialized TBI representation. Free consultation. Call 303.831.1116.", "url": "https://bikebrainlaw.com", "image": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/og-image.png" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog/you-dont-need-to-hit-your-head-for-tbi#blogposting", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Blog", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog#blog", "name": "Bike Brain Law Blog" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog/you-dont-need-to-hit-your-head-for-tbi" }, "url": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog/you-dont-need-to-hit-your-head-for-tbi", "headline": "You Don't Need to Hit Your Head to Suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury", "name": "You Don't Need to Hit Your Head to Suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury", "description": "Coup-contrecoup injuries, rotational forces, and whiplash can damage the brain inside the skull even without direct head impact.", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog/you-dont-need-to-hit-your-head-for-tbi#primaryimage", "url": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/img_0289.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/img_0289.jpg", "caption": "Cyclist riding on a Colorado mountain road", "description": "Cyclist riding on a Colorado mountain road", "representativeOfPage": true }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog/you-dont-need-to-hit-your-head-for-tbi#primaryimage", "url": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/img_0289.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/img_0289.jpg", "caption": "Cyclist riding on a Colorado mountain road", "description": "Cyclist riding on a Colorado mountain road", "representativeOfPage": true }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/img_0289.jpg", "datePublished": "2025-12-13T15:00:00.000Z", "dateModified": "2025-12-13T15:00:00.000Z", "inLanguage": "en-US", "articleSection": "Brain Injury", "keywords": "Brain Injury, Colorado, personal injury, TBI, cycling accident", "timeRequired": "PT2M", "articleBody": "Did you know that you don't have to hit your head to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? It's true! A TBI can happen when an external force is applied to the body that is strong enough to make the brain move inside the skull. Imagine your brain as a rubber ball inside a box. The brain can move inside the human skull because it is suspended in fluid. The brain can move forwards, backwards, side to side, rotate and twist. This movement of the brain inside the skull can cause injury to the brain tissue. A classic example of this is known as a coup contrecoup injury and occurs when the brain moves and strikes the inside of the skull and rebounds off the inside of the skull and hits the opposite side of the skull. Rotational forces can also cause the brain to torque and twist inside the skull and the shear strain forces on the brain can stretch and tear the brain's elongated nerve fibers. The inside of the skull isn't smooth. It has hard ridges. If the brain moves or rotates across these hard ridges, tearing of brain tissue can occur. Bicycle helmets are now designed with safety features to help decrease these rotational forces on the brain. MIPS is one kind of technology designed to help reduce rotational forces in a bicycle crash. Another newer technology is called The Release Layer System, designed to roll and release shell panels on the outside of the helmet to reduce the forces on the brain. A shaken baby or whiplash from a car crash where the head snaps forward and backward are examples of external forces on the body that can generate enough force to move the brain inside the skull and cause trauma without a direct impact to the head. Even if you didn't hit your head or get hit in the head by an object, but enough force is applied to the body and head, the brain can move inside the skull in a way that can cause a brain injury. This is why it is important to seek medical attention after a traumatic event or incident like a car crash, a bicycle crash, or fall even if you didn't strike your head.", "commentCount": 0, "additionalProperty": [ { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "readingTime", "value": "2 min read", "unitText": "minutes", "unitCode": "MIN" }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "wordCount", "unitText": "words" }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "characterCount", "value": 2033, "unitText": "characters" }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "headingCount", "value": 0 }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "paragraphCount", "value": 6 }, { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "listCount", "value": 0 } ], "author": { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/#dan-dangelo", "name": "Attorney Dan D'Angelo", "jobTitle": "Trial Lawyer · Brain Injury Advocate · Avid Cyclist", "description": "Attorney Dan D'Angelo founded D'Angelo Law Office, P.C. in 2009 and Bike Brain Law to focus exclusively on traumatic brain injury and cycling injury cases in Colorado. An avid cyclist himself, Dan combines deep TBI science knowledge with hands-on cycling experience to build winning cases against insurance companies and corporations that put profits over safety.", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/20231015_dangelo_dan_square_076.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/images/content/20231015_dangelo_dan_square_076.jpg", "caption": "Attorney Dan D'Angelo" }, "url": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/#about", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/#organization" } }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/#organization" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://bikebrainlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "You Don't Need to Hit Your Head to Suffer a Traumatic Brain ", "item": "https://bikebrainlaw.com/blog/you-dont-need-to-hit-your-head-for-tbi" } ] } ] --- [![Bike Brain Law](/assets/logo-white-CuISKEAM.webp)](/)[303.831.1116](tel:3038311116) Practice Areas Practice Areas - [Brain Injury Focused brain injury representation backed by science, trial experience, and real results. ](/practice-areas/traumatic-brain-injury) - [Cycling Accidents An avid cyclist who fights for injured riders across Colorado. ](/practice-areas/cycling-accidents) - [Bicycle Product Liability Holding manufacturers accountable when defective bike parts cause injuries. ](/practice-areas/bicycle-product-liability) Resources - [Insights & Guides ](/blog) - [Case Results ](/results) - Our Process - FAQs Service Areas - [Denver](/service-areas/denver) - [Boulder](/service-areas/boulder) - [Fort Collins](/service-areas/fort-collins) - [Golden](/service-areas/golden) - [Colorado Springs](/service-areas/colorado-springs) - [Aurora](/service-areas/aurora) Featured [ ![Attorney Dan D'Angelo](/assets/dan-dangelo-headshot-DJ4GY3yR.jpg) Meet Attorney Dan D'Angelo Trial lawyer, trusted brain injury advocate, avid cyclist. Learn more ](/) Free consultation · No fee unless we win. Talk to Dan AboutTestimonials[Results](/results)FAQsContact[Insights & Guides](/blog)Free Consultation [](tel:3038311116) [All articles](/blog) [Brain Injury](/blog/brain-injury)· December 13, 2025· 2 min read # You Don't Need to Hit Your Head to Suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury Coup-contrecoup injuries, rotational forces, and whiplash can damage the brain inside the skull even without direct head impact. ![Dan D'Angelo](/images/content/20231015_dangelo_dan_square_076.jpg) By Attorney Dan D'Angelo Trial Lawyer · Brain Injury Advocate · Avid Cyclist ![Cyclist riding on a Colorado mountain road](/images/content/img_0289.jpg) Did you know that you don't have to hit your head to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? It's true! A TBI can happen when an external force is applied to the body that is strong enough to make the brain move inside the skull. Imagine your brain as a rubber ball inside a box. The brain can move inside the human skull because it is suspended in fluid. The brain can move forwards, backwards, side to side, rotate and twist. This movement of the brain inside the skull can cause injury to the brain tissue. A classic example of this is known as a coup contrecoup injury and occurs when the brain moves and strikes the inside of the skull and rebounds off the inside of the skull and hits the opposite side of the skull. Rotational forces can also cause the brain to torque and twist inside the skull and the shear strain forces on the brain can stretch and tear the brain's elongated nerve fibers. The inside of the skull isn't smooth. It has hard ridges. If the brain moves or rotates across these hard ridges, tearing of brain tissue can occur. Bicycle helmets are now designed with safety features to help decrease these rotational forces on the brain. MIPS is one kind of technology designed to help reduce rotational forces in a bicycle crash. Another newer technology is called The Release Layer System, designed to roll and release shell panels on the outside of the helmet to reduce the forces on the brain. A shaken baby or whiplash from a car crash where the head snaps forward and backward are examples of external forces on the body that can generate enough force to move the brain inside the skull and cause trauma without a direct impact to the head. Related from Bike Brain Law - [Traumatic Brain Injury Claims How we build winning TBI cases against insurers. ](/#practice-areas) - [TBI & Injury FAQs Answers to the questions brain injury victims ask most. ](/#faqs) - [Our Case Process What to expect from consultation to settlement. ](/#process) Free, confidential case review ### Injured in a brain injury or serious accident in Colorado? Talk directly with Attorney Dan D'Angelo for a free consultation with zero obligation to find out where you stand. [Get My Free Consultation](/#contact) [303.831.1116](tel:3038311116) Even if you didn't hit your head or get hit in the head by an object, but enough force is applied to the body and head, the brain can move inside the skull in a way that can cause a brain injury. This is why it is important to seek medical attention after a traumatic event or incident like a car crash, a bicycle crash, or fall even if you didn't strike your head. ## Have a question about your case? Attorney Dan D'Angelo offers free consultations for brain injury and cycling accident victims throughout Colorado. [Free Consultation](/#contact) [303.831.1116](tel:3038311116) ![Dan D'Angelo](/images/content/20231015_dangelo_dan_square_076.jpg) About the Author ### Attorney Dan D'Angelo Trial Lawyer · Brain Injury Advocate · Avid Cyclist Attorney Dan D'Angelo founded D'Angelo Law Office, P.C. in 2009 and Bike Brain Law to focus exclusively on traumatic brain injury and cycling injury cases in Colorado. An avid cyclist himself, Dan combines deep TBI science knowledge with hands-on cycling experience to build winning cases against insurance companies and corporations that put profits over safety. - Practicing Colorado personal injury attorney since 2009 - Focused practice in TBI and bicycle injury litigation - Multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for injury victims - Avid road and commuter cyclist ## Related articles [ ![Brain imaging scans on a medical lightbox](/images/content/img_7090.jpg) #### Can a Denver Attorney Take My Traumatic Brain Injury Case to Trial? ](/blog/can-a-denver-attorney-take-my-tbi-case-to-trial)[ ![Racks of bicycles at a train station](https://odfyhkstsknriaebnttc.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/blog-images/4aa19bbd-3cb5-4c36-a7ac-e40bf22d19ed.jpeg?token=eyJraWQiOiJzdG9yYWdlLXVybC1zaWduaW5nLWtleV81NTc3MTNiMy1mM2NiLTRjZmEtYmM3Yi0wYmQ0NmVmZjE3ZjIiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJibG9nLWltYWdlcy80YWExOWJiZC0zY2I1LTRjMzYtYTdhYy1lNDBiZjIyZDE5ZWQuanBlZyIsInNjb3BlIjoiZG93bmxvYWQiLCJpYXQiOjE3ODUzNDY3NTksImV4cCI6MjEwMDcwNjc1OX0.xJyXEWuIgBqj1qmDqQQdai23W09gRBBqooyEtV3uisw) #### Why loss of consciousness is difficult to spot and why it's so important to your legal case. ](/blog/why-loss-of-consciousness-is-difficult-to-spot-and-how-to-identify-it)[ ![Treelined path with cyclist posing at the end](https://odfyhkstsknriaebnttc.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/blog-images/55e622d3-709b-4210-a141-ac41b5765070.jpg?token=eyJraWQiOiJzdG9yYWdlLXVybC1zaWduaW5nLWtleV81NTc3MTNiMy1mM2NiLTRjZmEtYmM3Yi0wYmQ0NmVmZjE3ZjIiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJibG9nLWltYWdlcy81NWU2MjJkMy03MDliLTQyMTAtYTE0MS1hYzQxYjU3NjUwNzAuanBnIiwic2NvcGUiOiJkb3dubG9hZCIsImlhdCI6MTc4NTM1MDA4MiwiZXhwIjoyMTAwNzEwMDgyfQ.y_WQrz9NT3BkAoSyOlpdMw9IrxR3LDOQRK0TKozc9dA) #### How long do brain injury symptoms last? ](/blog/how-long-do-brain-injury-symptoms-last) [![Bike Brain Law](/assets/logo-white-CuISKEAM.webp)](/) Colorado's dedicated brain injury and cycling accident attorney. Serving Denver and communities across Colorado. [](https://www.instagram.com/bikebrainlaw/)[](https://www.facebook.com/BikeBrainLaw/) ## Practice Areas - [Traumatic Brain Injury Claims](/practice-areas/traumatic-brain-injury) - [Cycling Accident Claims](/practice-areas/cycling-accidents) - [Bicycle Product Liability](/practice-areas/bicycle-product-liability) - Distracted Driver Injuries - Aggressive Driver Injuries - Dangerous Property Conditions - Insurance Claim Negotiation - Litigation & Trial ## Colorado Cities Served - Arvada - Aspen - [Aurora](/service-areas/aurora) - [Boulder](/service-areas/boulder) - Castle Rock - Centennial - [Colorado Springs](/service-areas/colorado-springs) - Cortez - Crested Butte - [Denver](/service-areas/denver) - Durango - [Fort Collins](/service-areas/fort-collins) - [Golden](/service-areas/golden) - Greeley - [Lakewood](/service-areas/lakewood) - Littleton - Longmont - Loveland - Pueblo - Steamboat Springs - Sterling - Thornton - Vail - Westminster ## Contact - [303.831.1116](tel:3038311116) - [info@bikebrainlaw.com](mailto:info@bikebrainlaw.com) - 3000 Lawrence St. #23 - Denver, CO 80205 Bike Brain Law is the DBA of D'Angelo Law Office, P.C. and Attorney Daniel E. D'Angelo, Esq., 3000 Lawrence Street #23, Denver, CO 80205, and is responsible for the content of this website. © 2026 Bike Brain Law. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](/privacy)[Terms of Use](/terms) Made with ❤️ by [HEARD](https://heardmarketing.io) [Free Consultation](/#contact)[](tel:3038311116) [Call Now](tel:3038311116)