Traumatic Brain Injury from a Motorcycle Crash

Motorcycle and car accidents cause more than half the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that occur every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The state of Virginia requires that all motorcycle riders wear a protective helmet - but even riders wearing helmets are prone to TBI in the event of a motorcycle crash.

 Virginia (VA) motorcycle accidents are on the rise. In fact, we saw an 87 percent spike in motor bike wrecks in 2007. Unfortunately, this means there is likely to be an increase in the number of TBI victims in VA as well.

Helmets are around 67 percent effective in preventing a head injury, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.  Although wearing a helmet protects motorcyclists' heads from directly impacting the ground, trauma to the brain can be sustained when the brain hits the inside of its protective covering - the skull - during the impact of the motorcycle crash. The results can be devastating.

Many people don't understand that even a common concussion is a mild form of TBI. Symptoms include nausea, headaches and visual disturbances.  These are very serious symptoms and should never be taken lightly, but they are often overlooked at the time of injury.  Severe TBI symptoms include loss of motor function, memory and language processing skills.  If you have sustained any type of head injury, seek medical care immediately and be sure to relay complete details of how your head injury occurred.

There is help available for motorcyclists suffering from TBI as a result of a motorcycle accident that was caused by another driver's carelessness.  If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle accident but does not wait to get help, there are people who care and can help you get on with your life.