What Should You Do After Suffering a Brain Injury In a Motorcycle Accident?

The warm, sunny climate of Florida can encourage a lot of people to purchase a motorcycle. This can be a great way to experience the landscape, as the wind rustles through your hair. However, there is also a potential downside to consider. Motorcycle riders can have a higher risk of being seriously injured in an accident. Unlike car drivers, they don’t have airbags or the protection of a metal shell which can help absorb the force of the impact. Sadly, this means that, even if motorcycle riders are wearing a helmet, they can end up with a serious brain or spinal injury. Let’s take a closer look at these circumstances and what you can do about it.

How Do Brain Accidents Occur In A Motorcycle Accident?

As we mentioned, motorcycle riders are often at a higher risk of receiving a serious injury if they get into a crash. While wearing a helmet and protective clothing might be able to reduce the risks, they will not be able to get rid of it entirely. Because of this, motorcycle accidents tend to have a high mortality rate, with 531 people dying from these crashes in 2019.

In many cases, when you have an accident on a motorcycle, you will be thrown off the bike. When this happens, the type of injuries you receive will often depend on how you land. For example, if you get twisted around as you’re flying through the air, and put out your arms to break your fall, the sudden impact might cause them to get broken. Even at a low speed, the risks of a serious injury are increased for motorcycle riders.

Brain accidents are one of the most serious dangers that riders will face. If you hit your head or spine, you might end up causing a brain injury. While the helmet will be able to absorb some of the impact force, the benefits will be limited. If you land on your back, you might risk a spinal injury. These risks will be present even if the accident occurred when you were traveling at a slow speed, as you will rapidly decelerate.

How To Recognize A Brain Injury After A Motorcycle Accident?

After a motorcycle accident, it’s important to detect whether you have a serious injury. While some injuries, like a broken arm, will be immediately obvious, others will be harder to detect. Brain injuries can be hard to spot and diagnose. As a result, there are a few symptoms that you might want to be on the lookout for.

First, you’ll want to make sure that you take note of any headaches that you start to receive, especially if they continue to occur over several consecutive days. You should also take note of any numbness that you start to experience. Another warning sign is if you start to feel the numb sensations in your extremities, like your fingers and toes. Those with a brain injury might start to experience vertigo or feel sick. Finally, you should take action if you start to feel like as though you are drunk. This can include some signs with your co-ordination. You might also think it’s harder to talk, slurring your speech during the conversation.

When you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek professional medical help. They will be able to investigate further and diagnose the cause of the issue. The sooner you detect a brain injury, the better the odds that you will be able to treat the condition successfully.

What Are the Impacts Of a Brain Injury?

The impacts of a brain injury can vary dramatically, depending on how much force you received and the parts of the brain that were impacted. For example, in some cases, the impact might cause a bleed in the brain. In other cases, the motorcycle accident might cause swelling in the brain. If untreated, these conditions might lead to death.

There is a range of ways that a brain injury might impact your life. For example, you might find it can lead to loss of consciousness. This can sometimes mean that you will need to be placed into a coma. In other cases, you might find it hard or impossible to perform certain physical functions. For example, you might not be able to walk or make some hand gestures. Depending on the parts of the brain impacted, you might not be able to chew or swallow your food without assistance. It’s also possible that you might find it harder to speak, slurring your words, or find it more difficult to organize your thoughts. Finally, you might find it harder to control your emotions, becoming more prone to mood swings and violent outbursts.

These changes can often have an emotional impact as well. For example, you might be more prone to depression or suicidal thoughts. In other cases, people with brain injuries might become more socially isolated and find it harder to connect with others. As you can imagine, the impacts of a brain injury can often have a big impact on your friends and family members. In some cases, they might find it hard to accept what has happened or they might be unsure of how to give the support you need.

How To Treat A Brain Injury After A Motorcycle Accident?

How you will need to treat a brain injury will often depend on the type of injury you received. For example, after a relatively minor injury, you might need to take some medication. You might also be required to have some time of rest.

However, for more serious cases, you will require more support. For example, you might need to go through therapy. This can often be a long process, often taking several months. Even after this time, patients might not be able to return to their former condition. In other cases, there will be a need for nursing care. This can sometimes mean a healthcare professional going into your home and making sure that you get the care you need. It’s also possible that this can mean that you will need to move to a new environment, like a nursing home, where you can get the care and attention you require.

For very serious cases, you might need emergency brain surgery. This can be an extremely dangerous procedure. If it goes well, you will often need some form of therapy. However, if something unexpected occurs during the surgery, you might die as a result.

What Are The Costs Of A Brain Injury?

The costs associated with a brain injury will often depend on the severity of the injury. However, there are a few things that you might need to consider. First, you will often need to spend some time in the hospital. Even at the minimal end, you will often need to talk to a doctor and get diagnosed. In severe cases, your stay in the hospital could extend for several months. Once the hospital period is over, you will need to attend some therapy sessions.

With a serious brain injury, you will often need to make some modifications to your life. For example, you might need to change your house. In some cases, this can mean adding a ramp or some railings that you can grab onto, to stop you from falling over. You might also need to add an adjustable shower head or change the doors, to make them more accessible. The more severe the modifications, the more you can expect to pay for services.

It’s also important to consider the costs associated with hiring outside help. For example, some brain injury victims might not be able to do physically demanding tasks, like mowing the lawn. As a result, you will need to hire someone to do these tasks for you. This can end up being very expensive.  In other cases, brain injury victims will rely on their families to perform these tasks for them.

In sone cases, brain injury victims will need to use a nursing service. The extent of the brain injury will often determine the type of assistance required. For example, in severe cases, you might require around the clock assistance. In this case, you might need to go to a nursing home. How long you’ll need to spend in assisted care can often vary. For example, you might need to spend a few years, before you can transition to at-home care. In other cases, you might need to stay in the facility indefinitely.

Finally, after a motorcycle accident, it’s common for people to need to spend a lot of time in the hospital. During this recovery period, you will be missing out on wages. In some cases, after a brain injury, you might not be able to perform your old job. This can mean that you risk becoming unemployed or needing to work reduced hours. This can further increase the strain on your budget.

How Can A Lawyer Help After A Motorcycle Crash?

As we’ve seen, the costs associated with brain injury from a motorcycle crash can quickly grow. In most cases, you could be left with thousands of dollars of debt, as you try to recover from your injuries. Thankfully, you will be able to turn to a personal injury lawyer. They will be able to make sure that you get a fair compensation payment, so you’ll be able to afford the recovery costs. Let’s take a closer look at the approach that they will use.

First, they will need to investigate the crash. They must understand all the circumstances that might have led to the accident. During this process, they will be able to uncover who might be at-fault with the accident. This can mean reviewing important documents, like ambulance and doctors’ reports. They might also try to talk to anyone who may have witnessed the accident. This will determine who will be responsible for paying damages. In some cases, there might be a few parties that they will be able to pursue, to make sure that you get the maximum possible compensation payment.

Next, they will need to make a compelling case. Generally, this means presenting all the evidence that can be used in court. During this process, they will also need to determine how much compensation a client is owed. This can often be difficult when dealing with brain injury victims, because of the amount of pain and suffering that they have been through and the lifelong care that they require. A good motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to estimate these costs accurately, making sure that you get a fair amount of compensation.

Finally, they will need to make sure that the other parties pay. This can often be a difficult part of the process. Because of the high costs associated with brain injuries, some people will be eager to try to reduce the amount of compensation they pay. During this process, you’ll need to have a skilled lawyer to negotiate on your behalf. This will ensure that you will receive a fair payment. If they don’t want to pay what you are owed, your lawyer will need to take the case to court. Though this will make the process more expensive and complex, it might be the only way to make sure that you get a fair amount of compensation. If you are going to court, it’s essential to choose a personal injury lawyer that has a lot of experience, so they will be able to argue your case effectively.

Contact The Injury Firm Today

At The Injury Firm, we are passionate about our clients, fighting to make sure that they get the compensation that they are owed. Our team of motorcycle accident lawyers are highly experienced and will be able to ensure that you get treated fairly. So, if you or someone you know has received a brain injury from a motorcycle accident get in touch with our friendly team today to find out how we can help.  For a free consultation, call 954-951-0000.