Motorcycle accidents are often very serious, sometimes even fatal. Motorcycle riders only have their protective gear to stop them from being seriously injured, unlike in a car where drivers have a seat belt and an airbag. When motorcycle riders choose not to wear their protective equipment, they have nothing to protect them during a crash. This is why wearing a helmet and bodysuit while riding your bike is very important.

Even when you’re wearing protective equipment, you can still be seriously injured. One of the most common injuries sustained by motorbike riders during accidents is head injuries, which can become brain injuries.

In this article, you will find out six important things about brain injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents:  

How Are Brain Injuries Caused?

Brain injuries can be caused in a number of ways, including when riders are thrown from their bikes and hit their heads on the floor or nearby objects; after a motorcycle rider receives a blow to the skull, where skull fragments damage brain tissue; when an object penetrates the brain and damages blood vessels and neurons, and when a rider hits their head on a car. Because motorcycle riders have nothing to hold them down if they are hit with enough force they can fly from their bikes and strike their heads very hard.

Like all injuries, brain injuries range in severity, which means that they are not all immediately apparent and sometimes the injured person needs to be monitored for symptoms.

Symptoms of a Brain Injury

If a brain injury isn’t diagnosed and dealt with by healthcare professionals quickly, the injury could result in death. A few symptoms to watch out for are:

• A serious headache that won’t go away;
• Bruising appearing around the eyes;
• Blood appearing behind the eardrum;
• A loss of consciousness;
• Fluid leaking out of the ears;
• A soft area in the skull around the site of impact;
• Uncharacteristic irritability and moods wings;
• Low blood pressure and a fast heart rate;
• Blindness or hearing loss;
• Memory loss and difficulty focusing.

If you or a loved one presents with these symptoms after a motorcycle injury, a visit to the ER is required.

Different Types of Brain Injuries

There are many different types of brain injuries. Some are not life-threatening. Others are. It’s always important to have a potential brain injury checked out, just to rule out anything serious.

The most common type of brain injury is a concussion. According to injury law specialists from Custodio & Dubey, LLP, concussions are the mildest type of brain injury. In most cases, concussions won’t require hospitalization and instead, they can be monitored and treated at home with painkillers and rest. With that said, a suspected concussion should still be checked out by a doctor.

Other brain injuries include:

• Cerebral Contusion, which is a term used to describe bruising of the brain. This injury will be diagnosed with a scan, either CT or MRI. This injury can impact mental function, as well as result in a brain herniation, which is a life-threatening condition;
• Epidural Hematoma, which is when a bleed occurs inside the brain. This happens when an artery is torn inside the brain. This occurs when a person strikes their temple. It is often fatal and symptoms don’t always show up immediately;
• Subdural Hematoma is one of the most severe brain injuries and occurs when multiple blood vessels rupture inside the brain. It often results in death.

Long-Term Complications

Even if you have a brain injury treated in the hospital, it can still result in long-term complications, which often include:

• Memory loss is the most common long-term complication of brain injuries. There are different types of memory loss, some of which are more severe and others that are less so. Retrograde memory loss is when a person can no longer remember old memories, while anterograde memory loss is when people are unable to form new memories;
• Early-onset dementia is a particularly troubling brain injury that can completely change a person’s life. People with dementia often lose their memory and find themselves unable to perform activities they would usually be able to;
• Chronic pain is also a very common injury, which can really impact a person’s life and leave them unable to do things they ordinarily would be able to.

Wearing a Helmet

Brain injuries can completely change a person’s life. While they can still occur when a motorcycle rider is wearing a helmet, they are less likely. Because of this, it’s absolutely crucial that you always wear a helmet when you’re riding your bike. Don’t leave your house without it.

As this article shows, brain injuries can be very serious. They’re not something you will ever want to risk. Make sure you always wear a helmet and ride your motorcycle safely.

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