What are Traumatic Brain Injuries and What are My Rights?

One of the most common injuries from a motorcycle wreck is the traumatic brain injury (TBI).  But what exactly is that?  How does it affect your quality of life?  What are your rights if you’re the victim of a wreck that results in this common injury?

The Car Crash Captain has some information for us, and encouragement for anyone who is suffering from a TBI, as well as the family that often has to care for these victims.

What Causes Traumatic Brain Injuries during a Texas Motorcycle Wreck?

More importantly, can wearing an appropriate helmet prevent a TBI?

The answer is, yes, a proper helmet will reduce the risk of suffering from a TBI if you’re involved in a motorcycle wreck.  It’s not guaranteed to always stop it, but it can help lessen the effects; the next section will get into what the different kinds of TBI are, and how some aren’t as severe as another.

Essentially, TBI’s all have the same cause.  The difference is how “big” the impact was.  Any time you hit your head, there’s the potential for a TBI.  The harder you hit, the more severe the injury.  This is because your brain is essentially floating around in your skull.  When you bonk it really hard, the brain can move and bump into the inside of the skull.

Just like any other part of the body, the harder you hit it, the more damage it will do.

What are the Different Kinds of Traumatic Brain Injury?

If I smack my arm, it might sting a little, or it might turn red, or it might bruise, or it might break.  If you bonk your head, the same things can happen; from mild to severe, TBI’s run the gamut of severity.

• Headaches are the mildest TBI, they will often clear up within hours.
• Concussions are loosely considered bad headaches; they can take days to heal as the brain has suffered a bit larger of a blow.
• Contusions are like concussions, but when there is bleeding involved.  Generally, it’s when the brain hits hard enough to cause a bruise.
• Coup-Contrecoup injuries describe the location of the injury.  If you hit the front of your head, and the brain slams forward and is injured right behind where you hit; that’s a coup injury.  If your brain hits the front, then slams back to the opposite side, that’s a contrecoup injury.
• Diffuse Axonal Injuries are almost always deadly.  These happen when the brain bounces around inside the head with no exact location; instead with widespread damage.

Yes, there is some overlap.  You can have a contusion contrecoup injury, as one describes the location and the other describes the process.

The bottom line is that any head injury that’s the result of a motorcycle wreck can be defined as a traumatic brain injury.  The big differences are the severity.  The compensation you receive will depend on the extent of the brain damage.

Which leads us to our next question.

Can a Person Recover from a TBI after their Motorcycle Wreck?

Based on the loose definition, everything from a headache to massive bruising, the answer is that you certainly can recover from mild TBI.  Most people who suffer from severe TBI – those that don’t succumb to the injury and pass away – have lifelong effects that can severely hinder their quality of life.

While headaches and concussions may heal, there can be lasting effects.  Some physical, and some mental lasting effects are:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Migraines or chronic headaches
• Nausea
• Loss of coordination
• Confusion
• Slurred speech
• Agitation
• Memory loss

Often these symptoms will require a major change in lifestyle, and in some cases an ongoing caretaker may be required for the remainder of the victim’s life.

Herbert Law Group Specializes in Helping Motorcycle Wreck Victims

If you suffered from a TBI, and you required a caretaker, would you be able to argue with the insurance company to pay out what’s necessary to cover all of those expenses?

Would your loved ones understand what’s necessary so they didn’t feel the financial pinch while you’re recovering?

That’s why Herbert Law Group helps motorcycle accident victims in Texas.  These matters can be complicated, and take a long time.  This piles up stress on top of an already stressful situation.

Don’t worry, we are here for you.  Let’s talk about what happened, and see how we can argue for a settlement that will cover all of your needs.  Call us at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site to get started.