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Riding a motorcycle is an enjoyable way to hit the road and explore new places. However, this comes with the risk of getting into an accident. The unfortunate reality is that motorcycles lack the protective steel frames and safety features of passenger vehicles, increasing the risk of serious and permanent injuries.
Even with a helmet, which is required to ride in Garden City and elsewhere in New York, there’s a threat of sustaining a brain injury in a crash. If this happens to you or someone you love, you will need skilled legal representation to win monetary damages. Count on the dedicated counsel of the Saul Law Firm, LLP.
What To Know About Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is different from other kinds of head injuries. It alters the way the victim’s brain works, and with it, the person’s cognitive functioning and even their personality. In other words, a TBI can drastically change a victim’s entire life.
TBIs are major causes of disability and death in the United States because of the dramatic way in which they affect the victim. The injury significantly changes the way the chemicals in the brain work. Symptoms and effects range from mild to severe, but all TBIs should be taken seriously.
Some of the most common symptoms of TBIs are:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headaches
- Dizziness and coordination problems
- Sensitivity to light
- Fatigue
- Vision problems
- Weakness in the arms and legs
- Unconsciousness
Long-Term Complications of TBIs
The above are just some of the physical signs of a TBI, but you should check with a Garden City physician if you experience other unusual symptoms after being in a motorcycle crash. The long-term effects of this brain injury are often expressed in terms of cognitive, social, and emotional issues:
Cognitive problems
- Confusion
- Trouble concentrating
- Inability to think clearly
- Memory loss
- Communication difficulties
Social and emotional problems
- Irritability
- Extreme nervousness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Erratic mood changes
- Personality changes
Winning Compensation After a Motorcycle Brain Injury
Having a TBI doesn’t just make a victim’s daily routine difficult due to the physical injury to the brain. The cognitive issues can make it difficult or impossible to hold down a job, especially where skills like attention to detail are required. Meanwhile, the social and emotional effects of a TBI can have a negative impact on the victim’s overall quality of life.
Although the motorcyclist’s helmet offers some protection from a TBI and other brain injury, it can only do so much. If you have been in any sort of motorcycle accident in Garden City, you need to see a doctor right away for an evaluation. Even if you think you were unharmed or only suffered minor injuries, let a doctor make that determination.
Motorcycle accident victims will incur significant medical bills and long-term disability costs. They will also suffer other losses such as lost income, decreased earning capacity, and pain and suffering. To seek legal damages for these losses, they will need to file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company and possibly go to court.
It will be the victim’s duty, with the assistance of a personal injury attorney, to prove that the at-fault party engaged in some negligent act or omission. To show this, and to demonstrate the nature and amount of their damages, the victim will need such evidence as:
- Medical bills
- Work records
- Photos and videos of their injuries and the accident scene
- Third-party videos and photos (e.g. from a surveillance camera)
- Eyewitness statements
- The police accident report
If other parties besides the driver were at fault, the victim should produce evidence of their involvement in the accident. For instance, a defective braking system in the driver’s vehicle may be due to a manufacturing error. If the driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash, the motorcyclist may be able to hold a bar in Garden City liable for serving the driver too much alcohol.
Legal Representation That Makes All the Difference
Perhaps the most important step you can take after being in a motorcycle accident is to contact a knowledgeable law firm. Your motorcycle accident attorney should have experience with the complexities of brain injury cases and be prepared to negotiate on your behalf with the at-fault parties’ insurance companies. If negotiations are unsuccessful, then your attorney can file a lawsuit and take your case to court.
Find out how the compassionate personal injury attorneys of the Saul Law Firm, LLP can assist you and your family. Call or contact us online to schedule your initial consultation at our Garden City, NY office.