Motorcycle use presents high risk of severe brain injury

Many motorcycle riders wear the right gear and follow the rules of the road. However, even with helmet use, the chances of obtaining a brain injury from a crash are much higher than for other motorists.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many accidents involving motorcycles result in injury to the rider. The main cause of death is traumatic brain injury, and even when it does not result in death, this brain injury results in a lifetime of emotional trauma and rehabilitation.

Although helmet use is the best way to prevent TBI, an ill-fitting helmet can come off during a crash, so it needs to be one that fits properly.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are different severities of brain injuries . While the symptoms of a mild TBI are often mild and temporary, those of a severe TBI are not. Potential physical symptoms include loss of consciousness for hours or days, constant headache, nausea and recurrent vomiting, seizures, numbness in fingers or toes and loss of coordination. Mental symptoms may include profound confusion, slurred speech, aggressive behavior and consciousness disorders.

Initially, a person suffering from a severe traumatic brain injury will go through numerous emergency procedures. However, once the medical team deals with the immediate life-threatening issues, the crash victim will probably need rehabilitation for years or even a lifetime. Some examples of necessary rehab specialists include:

The type of specialist and the duration of rehabilitation vary based on the location of the injured brain and the severity of the injury.