What You Need to Know if you Think You May Have a Traumatic Brain Injury from a Phoenix Motorcycle Accident
by Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Lawyers - Mark Breyer
When you have been in a Phoenix motorcycle accident, it is likely that your head had impact with some other force. Many times when motorcycles are involved in a crash with another vehicle, the rider is ejected from the motorcycle. This occurs because the motorcyclist has no protection holding him/her to the bike. As a result, even when the rider is wearing a helmet, many still sustain some sort of brain injury as a result of being in a crash.
It is estimated that over 1.7 million people experience traumatic brain injury every year. Being involved in an accident can be a very traumatic experienced not just for the injured individual but also for family members, particularly when their loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury. Typically a brain injury can be a tragic and life-altering type of injury. Brain injuries occur in other types of accidents besides motorcycle. We often see brain injuries sustained in car accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. One of the reasons damage to the brain is such a serious issue, both legally and medically, is because sometimes it is very difficult for medical providers to determine exactly the medical status of the brain injury victim. Sometimes a person will sustain a very serious brain injury but they are still talking and walking so it is not apparent. Other times when the rider is ejected in a motorcycle accident, it is very clear that the rider sustained a very serious brain injury as the rider is unable to talk, for example. Recovery can take years and prohibit victims from working, and often the victims require the help of family members. Unfortunately, the consequences of brain injury don't stop at the initial injury itself. Some brain injuries are permanent and the rider may never recover.
A brain injury is where there is damage to the complex system of neurons and nerve tracts. These neurons and nerve tracts allow parts of the brain to send messages to each other. When the neurons and nerve tracts are damaged, it affects a person who has been involved in a motorcycle collision's cognition. Cognition is a medical term for functions that the brain is known for such as thinking, reasoning, memory, information processing, and problem solving. Contusions, hematomas, and cranial nerve injuries are some of the common complications of traumatic injury to the brain. Beyond the initial damage and medical care is a long road of physical and mental therapy. TBI victims often experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, as well as forgetfulness, outbursts of temper, and issues with concentration and focus. Most commonly, victims can also have long term problems with their senses of eye sight, as well as hearing, taste, and touch. The development of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease is also associated with brain injury. For a person who has been involved in a motorcycle accident, a brain injury is a very difficult medical condition to know you have suffered, and many times the rider has multiple other issues that they are dealing with in addition to the brain injury. Most motorcycle riders from an accident with a motor vehicle will have fractured bones, head injuries, legal injuries, shoulder injuries, and foot injuries, among others.
How the brain injury manifests itself in the motorcycle accident victim will be dependent on where the injury to the brain occurred at the time of the motorcycle accident. The location of the damage determines what body functions will be affected. Damage to the left hemisphere often results in problems with speaking and understanding language. Also, brain damage to the left hemisphere affects sequential memory, can cause emotional disruption, and create issues with logic and verbalization. The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for the movements of the right side of the body, particularly the arms and hands. Damage to this region of the brain can cause problems in the movement of the right side of the body. Damage to the right hemisphere affects the body movements of the left hemisphere. It also affects vision and visual memory, awareness, the ability to think and rationalize in context, and altered creativity.
At its most serious, Traumatic Brian Injury can lead to death or a coma. In other cases, it leads to disability, long-term medical treatment, loss of wages, loss of employment, changes in personality and reasoning, and a tremendous amount of pain and suffering for both the injured victim and the family members.
Phoenix motorcycle accident lawyers help motorcycle riders and their families collect full compensation against the at-fault driver. We have handled many claims where our clients have sustained brain injuries, and some may be worse than others. We have had clients who needed brain surgery, and others who have died from a traumatic blow to the head. We have had others who have been put in comas because of the swelling in their brain. We have had clients who have gotten better, and clients who have remained the same but have learned to deal with their traumatic brain injury. We know the difficulties of brain injury medical care and are here to help you pursue the adverse party so that you can get the best settlement possible on your Phoenix motorcycle injury claim.
Breyer law Offices have experience and empathy when it comes to helping victims and their families sort through the financial and legal aftermath of a Phoenix motorcycle accident, and we know what it takes to get the best settlement on your claim as we know how important this is to the injured person and their family members. Selecting the right motorcycle accident lawyer can make a difference in the outcome of your claim. Call to talk to an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Phoenix today.
