Injure - Definition and Overview

Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical.

Types of Injury

• Burns are injuries caused by excess heat or sometimes cold (frostbite).
• Fractures are injuries to bones.
• Wound: cuts and grazes are injuries to the skin, that can cause bleeding (i.e. a laceration).
• A bruise is a haemorrhage under the skin caused by contusion.
• Damage to a person's sense of self-worth can be considered an emotional injury. An example is harm to one's perception of her or his gender resulting from sexual harassment, which is considered a form of violence. (American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/maleviol.html))

The Law

A legal injury is any damage occurring as the violation of a legal right, i.e. all legal injuries entail breaking the law.

Personal injury (protection) is a legal field that seeks to protect victims of harm by another's action or inaction.

The American legal definition of malicious injury is any injury committed with malice, hatred or one committed spitefully or wantonly. Such an action must be willfully committed with the knowledge that it is liable to cause injury. Injury involving element of fraud, violence, wantonness and willfulness, or criminality. An injury that is intentional, wrongful and without just cause or excuse, even in the absence of hatred, spite or ill will.

Serious bodily injury is any injury to the body that involves a substantial risk of death to the victim.

See also

• First aid
• Battery (crime)
• Bodily harm
• Microtrauma
• Physical trauma
• Back injury