Motorcycle safety experts recommend motorcycle riders and passengers wear helmets, and for good reason.
A motorcycle helmet, however, is not a guarantee you will not suffer a brain injury if you are hit by a car or truck.
Examples of injuries
Helmets reduce the force of impact when a rider or passenger slams onto the road or the vehicle that hit them. But the blow can still cause a severe concussion or other traumatic brain injuries (TBI), such as:
- Brain contusions, or bruises, either at the point of impact or on the opposite side where the brain has hit the skull
- Bleeding on the brain caused by ruptured arteries in the head
- Diffuse axonal injuries that damage the connections between brain cells
- Blood clots, either between the brain and the dura matter surrounding it, or in the brain itself
Every brain injury is serious, though relatively minor TBIs can heal with rest and medication. More serious brain trauma, such as those commonly suffered in motorcycle accidents, usually require more intensive treatment, possibly including emergency surgery. Many survivors of severe brain injury will lose physical or mental abilities, or both. Rehabilitation can help, but patients may never fully recover.
Getting justice after an accident
Surgery, a doctor’s care and rehabilitation are expensive. The wages your household has lost because you are unable to work are also costly. Then there is the pain and suffering your brain injury has caused you, as well as the impact it has had on your ability to enjoy your life, support your spouse and help raise your children. These and other damages should be paid by the parties who are responsible for your accident.
