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Brain And Head Injuries Suffered In A Motorbike Accident
When operating a motorbike on public roads, you are required by law to wear a crash helmet at all times. Even when protecting one’s head with a helmet, it is still possible to suffer a head injury. An accident to the skull may have consequences as simple as a momentary loss of consciousness, but in the most severe situations, it can lead to a brain damage that lasts for the rest of a person’s life.
Types Of Head Injury
Closed head injuries, also known as “blunt” head injuries, and open head injuries, also known as “penetrating” head injuries, are the two most common forms of traumatic brain injuries that may be sustained by motorcyclists.
When an external force strikes the head with enough power to cause the brain to move within the skull, a kind of brain damage known as a “closed” traumatic head injury occurs. This movement may graze or bruise the tissue in the brain. There is a possibility that a ‘closed’ head injury may only result in a mild and transient loss of function (concussion), but there is also the possibility that the damage will have long-term cognitive, behavioural, and emotional impacts.
The severity of brain damage sustained by an open head injury is greater. Because of the break in the skull, it is possible for either foreign matter or fragments of the skull itself to enter the brain tissue. In many cases, an open head injury will be accompanied by other areas of the brain that have experienced closed damage.
Diagnosis Of A Brain Injury
Head injuries are evaluated by observing the patient’s physical and verbal reactions, and the results are given a score based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). The severity of an injury may be determined using this scale, which assigns a score between 3 and 15, with 3 indicating the most severe injury and 15 indicating the least severe damage.
A person who has suffered a head injury may be referred for further testing, such as a computerised tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
When someone has suffered several wounds as a result of an accident, there is a remote possibility that a brain damage may go undiscovered. In patients who have suffered an undetected brain injury, the following symptoms may begin to manifest themselves not long after they are released from the hospital:
- Losing consciousness or confusion – such as not knowing where you are.
- Clear fluid from your ear or nose.
- Drowsiness when you would usually be awake.
- Problems with speaking or understanding others.
- Difficulties with balance or walking.
- Loss of power in a part of the body – such as weakness in an arm or leg.
- A new problem with your eyesight.
- A headache that keeps getting worse.
- Sickness.
- A seizure or fit (when your body suddenly moves uncontrollably).
Effects of a Head Injury
Effects of a severe head injury can be brief or may lead to serious brain damage.
- Unconsciousness, either briefly or for a long period of time.
- Tiredness since the injury.
- Sleep disturbances.
- Difficulties in movement or mobility.
- Lack of strength in arms and hands.
- Visual difficulties (restricted, double, or blurred vision).
- Hearing disturbances.
- Feeling of dizziness, loss of balance.
- Increased sensitivity to noise and/or light.
- Frequent or severe headaches since the injury.
- Epileptic seizures.
- Loss of short-term memory.
- Poor concentration.
- Difficulty planning and organizing.
- Difficulties with language and speaking.
- Difficulty carrying out more than one task at a time.
- Difficulty reading, spelling, or writing.
- Being irritable, or quick to anger.
Head Injury Claim For Compensation
If you have suffered a head injury as a result of a motorbike or cycling accident, it is vital that you seek advice from specialist solicitors with experience of working with these injuries. The solicitors will ensure you receive the right amount of compensation for your injuries.
If the person involved in the accident is unable to make a claim because of their injuries, the solicitor will work to recover compensation for the family of the injured person and will attempt to recover the costs of medical treatment if liability has been admitted by the person or organization you are claiming against.
If you are considering making a claim for compensation, speak to one of the specialist cycling and motorcycle accident lawyers who will advise you on making a claim.
- How to claim compensation for your inquiry.
- Claiming for care or treatment. This can usually be arranged on a private basis and at no cost to you.
- Recovering your financial losses as a result of your accident. This includes loss of earnings from being unable to work, insurance policy excess, traveling expenses, and any other income you have lost as a direct result of your accident.
- Recovering the costs of adjustments to your home, if needed.