Motorcycle Accidents and Brain Injuries: Understanding the Risks and Consequences

A motorcycle is one of those things many people dream of owning. There can be something wildly freeing about riding a motorcycle, regardless of the type. But what people don’t usually want to think about is the accidents that can occur while riding. Thanks to the very makeup of a motorcycle, accidents can potentially be more serious since you have little to no protection, resulting in a variety of injuries. Motorcycle accidents can even lead to brain injuries, which range in scope, and severity and can be permanent.

So, what does all of this mean to you? It comes down to being a safe and responsible motorcycle rider, which means you understand the risks and consequences. Let’s examine them further.

What Are the Most Common Injuries Motorcyclists Sustain?

If you’re going to ride a motorcycle, then it’s important to be aware of the risks. Often it comes down to cars and trucks hitting a motorcycle as they may not see them or just make a poor driving decision. Accidents can result in broken bones, spinal cord injuries that cause paralysis, abrasions, lacerations, crush injuries and head or traumatic brain injuries. While some of these may just take time to heal, many of these injuries are quite serious and will require not just immediate but ongoing medical attention.

Traumatic Brain Injuries Can Cause Short and Long-Term Effects

Did you know that, according to statistics, approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer from a traumatic brain injury each year? They can range in type and severity, but that is a lot of people going through a very serious health issue.

Statistics also show that 80,000 to 90,000 will go on to deal with the onset of a long-term disability, caused by traumatic brain injury. It’s a rather scary statistic and one that people need to take seriously. The CDC estimates that around 5.3 million people are currently living with a permanent disability directly caused by a traumatic brain injury.

So, what causes a traumatic brain injury? It’s caused when an external and sudden physical assault damages the person’s brain. The term ‘traumatic brain injury’ is meant to be an umbrella term that covers a whole scope of injuries. If the person is fortunate enough, their injury will only be a mild concussion, but a severe injury can also be the case. Unfortunately, traumatic brain injuries can be so catastrophic that they even cause death.

Understand the Different Types of Brain Injuries

Within the realm of brain injuries, there are also a couple of different types. These are penetrating brain injuries and closed brain injuries. A penetrating brain injury also includes open head wounds – so this can include a bullet or a broken skull, which could be the case after a motorcycle accident. This is exactly what your helmet is intended to protect you from, but nothing is ever 100% guaranteed.

A closed brain injury means there is no open wound, and nothing has penetrated the skull, but the injury was brought on by a sudden jarring motion which caused shaking or movement of the brain itself inside your skull. Again, this can occur in a motorcycle accident, especially if the impact was strong. The results of this kind of injury can be the tearing of blood vessels and brain tissue and bruising.

Diagnosed with a Brain Injury? What Does That Mean for Your Health?

If you’ve been diagnosed with a brain injury, it can mean a variety of things for your overall health and well-being. As mentioned, the effects can be short or long-term, it is dependent on the type and severity of injuries.

Some of the more common effects of a brain injury can include:

Weakness or paralysis
Tremors
Poor balance
Decreased coordination
Shortening or tightening of your muscles
Swallowing problems
Confusion
Loss of sense of space and time
A hard time following instructions
Lack of attention span
Coma
Problem-solving issues
A change in touch, smell, vision, taste and/or hearing
On-going vision issues
Loss of sensation
Communication issues

This is just a small look; the entire list of issues can be quite lengthy. Generally speaking, the effects can be categorized into the following areas:

Cognitive deficits
Sensory or perceptual deficits
Motor deficits
Functional deficits
Language and communication deficits
Personality changes
Social issues
Regulatory problems
Traumatic Epilepsy

What’s the Prognosis – Is Complete Recovery Possible?

There’s nothing wrong with trying to stay positive after a brain injury and one hoping for a full recovery. The simple fact is that brain injuries tend to be permanent as, once a brain cell has been damaged or even destroyed, it cannot regenerate itself. That doesn’t mean you won’t have some form of recovery; it just means that a full recovery to where you were before the accident is unlikely. Chances are you will be left with some lasting effects. The hope is that they are manageable.

Typically, the treatment and recovery phase begins first with acute treatment and then will move to a rehabilitation model. The type of rehabilitation needed will depend on the type of injury and the severity.

Some of the professionals you may need to see include:

Physiatrist
Neurologist
Occupational therapist
Social worker
Rehabilitation nurse
Internist
Speech/language pathologist
Recreation therapist
Physical therapist
Audiologist
Psychologist
Dietician
Respiratory therapist

What to Do If You’ve Been in a Motorcycle Accident

If you’ve recently been in a motorcycle accident you must take the proper steps to protect yourself, even if your accident didn’t result in a brain injury. If you have sustained any injuries at all, then you are looking at medical expenses and potentially other expenses incurred due to the accident. Our lawyers at Mama Justice MW Law Firm are here to help as we want to provide the understanding and care you need by handling your case and getting you with the compensation you deserve.

You can visit us at any of our following office locations: