“Just Not the Same”: The Effects of a Serious Head Injury

A serious head injury can alter your life forever. The effects may not be immediate or visible, but they are there. Take, for example, Ted Dingler, a physics professor at the Southwest Virginia Community College in Abingdon, Virginia (VA). Mr. Dingler was riding his bike with a group of friends when he was forced off Old Saltworks Road by a truck causing his bike to flip over and his head to slam into the pavement.

Immediately after the bike crash, Mr. Dingler didn't know where he was, didn't even know what a bicycle was, according to tricities.com. But you could chalk that up to just smacking your head on pavement. Unfortunately, the effects of his head injury persist.

"Right now, he doesn't have any memory," said Georgia Householder, Mr. Dingler's girlfriend. "I don't think he knows my name. I think he knows I'm somebody in his life, but he hasn't called me by name. Or his children, I don't think he's called them by name."

Imagine, one day you were enjoying a ride on your bike, and in the blink of an eye, large portions of your memory were wiped away. The names of friends, family, and loved ones are no longer at the tip of your tongue. This is a common side effect of a serious head injury and it's something Mr. Dingler may continue to struggle with for a long time.

This accident also highlights the risks bike riders take when they have to share the road with cars, trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles. The truck which caused this terrible accident was driving recklessly and failed to provide the proper amount of space Mr. Dingler, and his bicycle group, needed to travel on the road.

Even more infuriating is the fact that the truck didn't even stop after it forced Mr. Dingler off the road resulting in the head injury. This means Mr. Dingler will have a more difficult time pursuing compensation through a personal injury claim. Police continue to search for the at-fault truck driver. Hopefully, they will be brought to justice.