Serious physical injury is defined as an impairment of a person’s physical condition which creates
- A substantial risk of death
- Causes death
- Causes serious and protracted disfigurement
- Protracted impairment of health
- Protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ
There are only two types of injuries in New York law, “serious physical injury” and “physical injury”. Injuries that qualify as “serious” as is shown by the definition above, are the most severe.