No matter how experienced you are as a rider, Colorado’s roadways pose numerous risks to you. For instance, traumatic brain injuries are a real possibility in motorcycle accidents regardless of whether you wear a helmet. Such an injury could alter the course of your life forever.
Motor vehicle accidents represent the third most common cause of TBI. As a motorcycle rider, your risk is often higher than that of someone in a passenger or commercial vehicle since you are largely unprotected. A helmet may not protect you in a violent impact.
If your head slams into a window, door or other hard surface, you could suffer a serious TBI. Even if your head does not hit the other vehicle or another object in the crash, your brain could be thrown against your skull hard enough to cause significant damage. Depending on the circumstances, you may not even realize that you suffered a moderate to severe TBI right away since there may not be any outward signs.
Because of this, you should seek medical attention right away, especially if you lost consciousness for any length of time. With a proper examination, and perhaps some additional testing, a TBI could be diagnosed quickly enough to prevent any further damage to your brain. Even so, the true extent of your injury may not be known until days or weeks later. You, your family and friends should keep a lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
If you suffered a moderate to severe TBI, it could be some time before you recover. You could suffer lasting effects that require permanent changes to your life and ongoing medical care. If another motorist was responsible for your injuries, you could exercise your right to file a personal injury claim. Successfully establishing that your TBI was the result of someone else’s negligence in a Colorado civil court could result in an award of damages similar to those seen in other motorcycle accidents.