Head Injuries From a Bicycle Accident
If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury from a bicycle accident, the experienced California bike accident lawyers at Bisnar Chase can help you seek and obtain maximum compensation for your damages and losses. Head injuries caused by bicycle accidents can result in long-term or even permanent disabilities. Victims of these types of injuries and their families face physical, emotional and financial challenges on a daily basis. Our law firm has helped severely injured clients and their families get much-needed compensation for not just medical treatment, but to maintain a reasonable quality of life. Call us at (800) 561-4887 to find out how we can help you.
Bicycle Accidents and Head Injuries
Statistics show that head injuries occur in 22 to 47 percent of bicycle accidents often as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle. Head injuries are responsible for more than 60 percent of all bicycle-related deaths and the majority of bicycle accident injuries that result in long-term disabilities. While football tends to dominate the discussion of sports-related head injuries, research shows that bike accidents account for far more traumatic brain injuries each year. Cycling was also the leading cause of head injuries in children under 14, causing 40,272 injuries, roughly double the number related to football (21,878).
What are the Effects of a Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury usually results from a blow to the head that affects the brain. In bicycle accident cases, this occurs when a bicyclist is thrown to the ground or is thrown off the bike and hits the pavement or the vehicle that struck the bicycle. A brain injury is very different from a broken limb or a punctured lung because it's an injury that can affect every aspect of a human being – physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive.
Traumatic injuries may be mild such as a concussion or severe such as a skull fracture or swelling/bleeding in the brain. A brain injury can be classified as mild or severe. A concussion is an example of a mild brain injury although recent research suggests that even these types of injuries could have long-term effects. Some of the common effects of brain injuries include headaches, memory issues, mood swings, loss of consciousness and seizures. A number of traumatic brain injuries result in death.
Survivors often struggle with limited physical functions, abnormal speech or language and other emotional or behavioral problems. Long-term rehabilitation is often necessary to maximize function and independence. Even with so-called mild brain injuries, the consequences to a person's life can be dramatic. Even a slight change in brain function can have a dramatic impact on an individual's family life, job, social and community interaction.
Bicycle Accident Head Injuries and Children
Bicycle accidents are the primary cause of traumatic brain injuries among children including teens. An estimated 107 bicyclists under the age of 15 dies in bicycle-related accidents each year and 12,000 suffer some type of injury. Children between the ages of 0 and 20 make up 23.4 percent of cycling deaths each year. The most common cause of these types of bicycle accidents is collision with another vehicle. More than 540,000 people visit the nation's emergency room over bicycle-related collisions and of those about 67,000 suffer from some type of head trauma. So, head injuries account for over 60 percent of bicycle-related fatalities.
Our law firm handled the case of a teenager who suffered a catastrophic brain injury in a bicycle accident. We helped the family secure a $16 million settlement from the city where the accident occurred. Our lawyers argued that a dangerous bicycle roadway condition caused the teen's catastrophic bicycle accident.
What is Your Head injury Claim Worth?
The value of a head injury case depends on a number of factors. Typically, brain injury cases bring verdicts or settlements in the millions – for good reason. Victims and their families undergo significant medical and other expenses, not to mention the pain and suffering they have to endure in the aftermath of such a traumatic event. The more severe the head injury, the higher the value of your claim is likely to be. Typically head injury victims can seek compensation for damages including:
- Medical expenses including emergency room costs, emergency transportation, hospitalization, cost of surgery, medication, diagnostic tests, medical equipment, etc.
- Cost of rehabilitation including physical, occupational and behavioral therapy
- Expenses relating to round-the-clock care and nursing for patient, if the injuries are catastrophic
- Lost income during recovery
- Lost future income and loss of earning capacity, if the injuries resulted in permanent disabilities
- Past and future pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
There is no question that the cost of caring for someone who is living with a head injury can run into the millions. An experienced bike accident lawyer who has the knowledge and resources to explore all potential avenues of compensation will be able to help you secure the monetary support you or your loved one needs to maintain an acceptable quality of life.
Contacting an Experienced Bike Accident Lawyer
In any personal injury case where there are significant medical expenses and other losses, having an experienced head injury lawyer on your side can make a huge difference. The California bicycle accident lawyers at Bisnar Chase have successfully handled bicycle accidents that resulted in brain injuries and have obtained millions for victims and their families. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Call us at (800) 561-4887 to for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.
