Motorcycle Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injury: What You Should Know
Michael Babboni
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents often cause some of the most serious road injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traumatic brain injuries can cause confusion and disorientation, memory loss, fatigue, headaches, visual problems, poor attention and concentration, and irritability.After a Motorcycle Accident
At the moment of impact in a motorcycle accident, the brain is moved around inside the skull. It can move around so much that it crashes into the side and top parts of the skull, causing bruising and bleeding. However, the extent of the damage may not be evident for hours or days after the accident.
The damage done can then become much more severe. Since the skull is made of bone, it can't expand to give the swelling brain any room. This causes the brain to swell up against the skull and cause more damage. If not treated immediately, it can result in death.
Signs of a Head Injury
A few signs of a head injury following a motorcycle accident are a concussion, contusion, coup-contrecoup injury, diffuse axonal injury, or penetration injury. These injuries are often the result of the direct impact that happens during a collision, and they occur when your head moves around. There may be torn nerves that can interrupt normal brain function and lead to more permanent brain damage.
Long-Term Problems
Following a motorcycle accident, there can be long-term impairments for the injured party that can affect them for years to come. They can lose their motor skills, have trouble speaking, experience memory loss, have seizures, lose their inability to work, and have mood changes. These long-term problems can affect a person physically, mentally, and financially.
Recovery from a Traumatic Brain Injury
The recovery process for a traumatic brain injury can be lengthy. The amount of time it takes to heal depends on the person and can take months or even years. Some who suffer more severe TBIs may never fully recover completely and will have to face challenges for the rest of their lives.
Most of these injuries require hospitalization and rehab, so the hospital bills will quickly begin to add up and become overwhelming. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and have experienced severe injuries, you may want to discuss your case with an experienced attorney to see what your options are for getting the compensation you deserve.
Preventing Traumatic Brain Injuries
One of the best ways to help avoid this kind of injury during a motorcycle accident is by wearing a helmet. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a motorcyclist wearing a helmet is much less likely to experience a traumatic brain injury during an accident than someone who isn’t.
It has also been reported that wearing a helmet while operating or riding on a motorcycle can help reduce the risk of head injury by approximately 69 percent.
However, you have to choose the right helmet for it to be absolutely effective.
Make sure it meets the minimum safety standards so it can protect your brain and head during a collision. Always look for the Department of Transportation (DOT) sticker or Snell sticker. It should be located somewhere on the box and the helmet. These two organizations run tests on motorcycle helmets to ensure they can properly withstand impacts and stay in place during a collision.
If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and sustained injuries, seek immediate medical attention to rule out any severe and more debilitating conditions.