A triathlete who suffered life-threatening and paralyzing injuries in a 2009 truck accident has returned to competition and won two of the races he’s entered during the summerof 2011. According to the Virginian-Pilot, the man, who now lives in Virginia Beach, VA, and continues his Navy career as a recruiter, almost died after being hit while on a training bike ride. He suffered a broken back and sustained severe nerve damage that left him unable to use of his left arm and hand. He also needed to have his face reconstructed with 28 metal screws.
A boat operator for Naval Special Warfare before the crash, the man now devotes 100 percent to his training, trying to get his body back to the condition it was in more than two years ago. He and his doctors credit his intense exercise regimen with conditioning his body to deal with the trauma and keeping kept him alive despite the broken spinal and facial bones, shattered collarbone and collapsed lung he suffered.
As that experience showed, a bike accident can result in traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage. To learn how to minimize the risk for such injuries, follow this safe biking advice from our law firm’s Child/Teen Health & Safety Checklist:
- Wear a helmet: Helmets are cool, brain injuries are not. Even after recovering from a bike accident, a concussion might lead to dementia. Before going on a ride, put your helmet on and tighten the chin strap.
- Wear gloves: Gloves protect the skin on the palms of hands when there is an accident involving pavement.
Use a mouthguard: Mouth guards prevent damage to the tongues and teeth. - Use lights and wear reflective clothing: Drivers who can see you are less likely to hit you..
Besides following this gear checklist, educate yourself on what to do when an injury does happen. If a bike accident is the fault of anyone, the injured victim or family members may need to file a personal injury lawsuit with the assistance of Virginia accident attorneys.
LC