Brain Injury From a Motorcycle Accident – Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Detroit & Southfield Michigan

Bikers love the freedom at the heart of motorcycle riding: the open air, the wind in their face, the sun shining down, and a beckoning open road. But bikers also know that the unique rush they get from riding isn’t without risks. Unprotected by steel frames, unrestrained by seatbelts, and without airbags or other safety equipment, bikers are exposed and vulnerable to the mistakes of inattentive or negligent drivers. Tragically, the violent impacts that so often define motorcycle accidents regularly result in catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Helping Bikers and Their Families Move Forward After a Brain Injury

Few injuries are as devastating as those to the brain. When a biker sustains a serious head injury in an accident, it can change them forever and leave their families struggling with the challenges and burdens of caring for them. A brain injury from a motorcycle accident can mean paralysis. It can mean a parent who can no longer help their child with homework. It can mean no longer earning a paycheck or being there for their spouse as they once were. It can mean a future of possibilities replaced by one of the countless limitations.

And it is not only bikers who suffer. The families of bikers who sustain traumatic brain injuries in motorcycle accidents will never be the same either as they lose a breadwinner and companion and spend their physical, mental, and emotional energy- and finances – on caregiving.  

At Sommers Schwartz, P.C., our Michigan motorcycle accident lawyers have seen first-hand the upheaval, pain, and sadness caused by brain injuries. We use our extensive motorcycle accident experience and fierce commitment to injury victims and their families to obtain the maximum compensation available for their losses.

Helmets Are Essential – But Not Indestructible

Unquestionably, helmets save lives and can often spare riders from serious brain or head injury. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), helmets reduce the risk of death in a motorcycle crash by 37 percent and reduce the risk of head injury by 69 percent. But helmets aren’t indestructible. The violent impacts involved in most motorcycle accidents can overwhelm a helmet’s power to shield the brain from injury. Bikers who ride without a helmet are even more likely to have a severe brain injury, like TBI. 

What Is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury is a catastrophic type of brain damage caused by an external force striking the head, whether from the skull making an impact with the ground or an object piercing the cranial plate to penetrate the brain. 

The CDC reports that about 2.8 million Americans sustain a TBI each year. The statistics are jarring:

• TBI contributed to the deaths of 56,800 Americans in 2014 alone (the last year for CDC statistics), including those of 2,529 children.
• In 2014, about 812,000 children were treated in American emergency rooms for concussion or TBI.
• TBI is a contributing factor to a third of all injury-related deaths in the United States.
• 153 Americans die every single day from injuries that include a TBI.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost 9 percent of unhelmeted and 7 percent of helmeted hospital-treated motorcyclists experienced minor to moderate TBI, while more than 7 percent of unhelmeted and 4.7 percent of helmeted hospital-treated motorcyclists sustained severe TBI.

Other Types of Brain Injuries From a Motorcycle Accident

Besides traumatic brain injury, bikers can sustain other significant brain and head injuries in a motorcycle accident. These include:  

• Concussions.
• Contusions (bruise on the brain).
• Penetrating injury (object goes through the skull to the brain).
• Brain hematoma (clotting in the brain).
• Brain hemorrhage (bleeding around or in the brain).

Compensation for Motorcycle Accident Brain Injuries

Bikers who suffer from TBI and other severe brain injuries endure months or years of treatment, physical and occupational rehabilitation, multiple surgeries, and countless doctor visits. A whole team of medical professionals, including physical therapists, neurologists, psychologists, and chiropractors, can become part of the recovery process. A victim may need assistance and continuous care indefinitely, and families often must physically alter their homes.

These medical, physical, and psychological burdens become even heavier when compounded by astronomical medical bills, insurance and disability claims, and many other practical challenges that can make every day a struggle.

When an irresponsible or negligent driver causes these losses, injured bikers and their families shouldn’t have to bear the burden themselves. They need and deserve all the help they can get to recover from injuries and rebuild a life upended through no fault of their own. 

The Michigan motorcycle accident attorneys of Sommers Schwartz fight for bikers who must endure the aftermath of a motorcycle accident brain injury. We use our skill, experience, and commitment to recover compensation for all losses, including medical bills, past and future lost earnings, the cost of a new bike and other property damage, loss of the enjoyment of life, mental stress, and pain and suffering.

Contact the Motorcycle Accident Lawyers at Sommers Schwartz to Arrange for Your Free Consultation

With respect, compassion, and a determination to obtain the maximum amount of compensation available for our clients, we fight for bikers’ rights, getting them back to their lives and back on the road. Contact Sommers Schwartz today at (866) 943-2562 to arrange for your free consultation.