Being involved in a motorcycle accident can be a life-altering experience. The injuries you sustain from that incident could stay with you for the rest of your life. Some of the injuries stemming from the accident could even prove deadly if you cannot address them in time.
Brain injuries can sneak up on you. They don’t always manifest right away, and that’s part of the problem too. By the time you understand that something’s wrong, it may already be too late.
You need to know what to do after getting injured in a motorcycle accident. Continue with the rest of this article to learn more about the right steps to take if you believe you’re dealing with a brain injury.
The Impact Brain Injuries Can Have on People
Brain injuries must always be taken seriously and addressed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, people aren’t always aware that there is something wrong with their brains. Since they don’t feel anything strange, they assume that they are fine.
You cannot assume anything if you were involved in a motorcycle accident. Even minor abnormalities can be hinting that something is wrong with your brain.
Let’s discuss the effects brain injuries can have on people here. Keep them in mind, so you can better determine if something is amiss with your condition after your accident.
The Symptoms of Mild Brain Injuries
The symptoms of mild brain injuries are the easiest ones to either miss or disregard completely. That’s mainly because they don’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the mild symptoms of brain injuries you may experience following an accident include headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. If you start experiencing those symptoms, you could easily see them as side effects that will go away.
Some of the symptoms of mild brain injuries are harder to ignore. They include sensitivity to light, ringing in your ears, and losing consciousness for a few seconds. Even your sleep pattern and your mood can change by a brain injury.
It’s important to keep watch for any of those symptoms. You should also act right away if you experience any of them.
The Symptoms of Moderate to Severe Brain Injuries
You may mistakenly assume that some symptoms of mild brain injuries are no big deal, but you won’t make that mistake with the more intense symptoms.
Headaches are symptoms you need to watch for again, but this time around, they are more persistent. You may still have a headache even after trying to sleep it off.
Moderate to severe brain injuries can also lead you to lose consciousness for hours. You may also start to lose feeling in your fingers and struggle to coordinate your body properly.
Slurred speech, confusion, and becoming more irritable are additional signs that you have a significant brain injury.
Ideally, you’ve already acted before any of the symptoms mentioned in this section emerge.
What You Must Do After the Motorcycle Accident
The importance of knowing what to do after being involved in a traffic collision while riding on your motorcycle cannot be stressed enough. Let’s talk more about the things you need to do after an accident in this section.
Head for Safety
The first thing you need to do after the accident is get to safety. You may still be on the road after the collision, and you could be hit by passing vehicles if you don’t get out of the way.
As soon as you get your bearings, you need to head to the side of the road and move away from danger. Don’t worry about checking on your motorcycle now because your safety is what matters most.
Contact the Authorities and Emergency Services
Once you’re in a safe location, pull out your phone and call for help. Call for the authorities and emergency services because you will need them both.
Assuming you are injured, you probably cannot move around much and piece together what happened. You need to rely on police officers to investigate the accident scene and figure out who’s to blame. When they arrive, you can tell them what you know and hope that the information you share can help with their investigation.
You may not think that you need to go to the hospital, but it’s best to err on the side of caution. As we’ve already noted in this article, brain injuries don’t always make themselves felt right away. Don’t shy away from going to the hospital because it could make a huge difference.
Get Yourself Checked Out Properly
A thorough examination is important after a motorcycle accident. Talk to the doctor about what you’re currently feeling. Let them know if you’re feeling strange in any way.
One of the challenges of dealing with brain injuries is that their symptoms aren’t always clear. You cannot be certain if something you’re experiencing is a symptom of an injury.
In this scenario, you should be as detailed as you can be when talking to the doctor. Mention everything no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Partner Up with a Lawyer
Now that you’ve been examined and presumably given the signal to head home by your doctor, you should start planning with a lawyer.
You will likely rack up some medical bills regardless of whether you were injured after the accident. Don’t forget about your motorcycle that was likely badly damaged due to what happened. It’s also possible that you may have to miss work if you were indeed injured.
On top of all that, being involved in an accident can be a traumatic experience that affects you significantly moving forward.
A motorcycle accident can have a truly profound impact on your life. Such an incident may take so much away from you. It’s only fair that you are compensated for everything you have lost due to the accident.
Working with a lawyer is necessary if you want to receive that compensation.
Your lawyer can help gather evidence showing that you were not at fault for the accident. They can also assist with tracking down the person responsible for what happened so they can compensate you properly.
Hiring a lawyer also makes sense at this point because you may not be able to handle matters by yourself for a while. It’s a huge help to have someone who can manage the legal issues while you focus on your recovery.
Continue to Monitor Your Condition
Symptoms of brain injuries may take time to emerge. We’re not talking about a few hours here. It’s possible that your symptoms will not show until days or even weeks after the accident took place.
Your doctor may tell you to go home after the initial examination if you aren’t experiencing any symptoms, and they cannot spot anything either. Follow their instructions for now, but don’t forget to keep track of your condition.
Return to the Hospital for Additional Examinations
Going back to the hospital is a good idea. You should do that whether or not new symptoms emerge.
Brain injuries are hard to detect, so you should have an expert examine you to ensure you are suffering no lingering effects from the motorcycle accident.
Even without new symptoms, going back to the hospital a week after your accident is a smart move. The doctor can give you a clearer picture of your overall health now that more time has passed since the accident.
Receive Treatment for Your Injuries
Treatment will vary depending on what symptoms you’re experiencing.
Doctors will usually recommend that you rest for a while if you’re dealing with the symptoms of mild brain injuries. You should stay off your feet for a while and have a loved one handle some of your chores at home. This is also the time when you should start using those sick days if you still have them.
Taking medication could help you deal with some of the lingering symptoms, but don’t consume anything right away. Ask your doctor first about any medication you’re planning to take. Only take them if they say doing so will be fine.
Moderate to severe brain injuries require more involved care from healthcare professionals.
According to MedlinePlus, you may need surgery to address some of your more severe injuries. Some of your injuries may have also affected your body, meaning you may need to undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Mental illnesses you develop because of the accident may also require medication. In some cases, you may need to continue with medication long after the accident.
You can probably tell that getting treated for your brain injuries will not be cheap. That’s another reason you need to hire a lawyer who can secure the compensation that you will need to support yourself while you try to recover from your brain injuries.
Make Long-Term Changes to Your Home and Lifestyle
Brain injuries can change your life forever. Unlike bone breaks or muscle tears, brain injuries may never fully heal, meaning you’ll deal with their side effects permanently.
Thankfully, advancements in medicine and technology can make life more manageable for those living with the lingering effects of brain injuries.
Certain accessories can make it possible for you to move around despite how the brain injuries affected your body. You can also renovate your home to make it more accessible for someone with your injuries.
Keep those things in mind while you’re talking with your lawyer and planning for your case. You must account for them while seeking damages from the party who caused the accident.
How You Can Avoid Getting Injured While Riding Your Motorcycle
Taking steps to protect yourself from injuries when you’re riding a motorcycle is always a must. Here in this section, we’ll highlight some of the best ways to protect yourself from accidents and injuries whenever you’re taking to the road on your motorcycle.
Wear Appropriate Safety Gear
No motorcycle rider should ever be without a helmet.
The first thing you should do when shopping for a helmet is look for the symbol of the Department of Transportation. That symbol lets you know that the helmet you’re inspecting has been certified and that it provides adequate protection.
If your main concern is safety, full-face helmets also provide the most coverage for your head and neck.
You should invest in other pieces of safety equipment such as appropriate jackets, pants, gloves, and boots. There’s no such thing as too protected on the road, so feel free to use the safety gear available to you.
Check on Your Motorcycle Regularly
Make it a point to check up on your motorcycle regularly. Inspect everything from the brakes to the wheels and every other essential component of your two-wheeler.
You should inspect your motorcycle ahead of each ride. It will require more thorough check-ups periodically.
Be a Defensive Driver
Riding a motorcycle can be intimidating since you’re always sharing the road with larger vehicles. When a car and motorcycle collide, it’s the two-wheeler that takes the worse damage.
As a motorcycle rider, practicing caution while you’re on the road is essential. That means always practicing defensive driving.
Defensive driving means not getting close to other vehicles that may not see you as they turn. You should also avoid swerving so an approaching vehicle doesn’t accidentally clip your motorcycle. Make it a point to change your driving depending on the weather because it can be hard to stop on slippery roads.
Suffering a brain injury due to a motorcycle accident can be devastating. It can be even more troublesome for you if failed to take the appropriate course of action. Contact us at the Quirk Law Group, and we’ll help you figure out what to do after your involvement in a motorcycle accident.