April 28, 2012

U.S. Cycling Joins List of Sports with Increased Focus on Brain Injuries & Athlete Safety

Velo News reported this week on new steps by USA Cycling to develop more effective safety protocols to keep athletes safe in the event of a traumatic brain injury. The move was likely prompted by the flood of attention that has been recently been given to the prevalence and serious consequences of these injuries. In particular, new information about these health concerns have led to increased scrutiny of BMX crashes in the sport.

In order to tackle the concerns USA Cycling has sought out the assistance of leading doctors in the area of head injuries to come up with new protocols to help those who suffered one of these injuries recover. Considering that bicycle accidents occur on our area roadways all the time, our Chicago brain injury lawyers understand that these basic safety efforts are an important reminder to all local bike riders, not just professional athletes.

As blog readers know there are both immediate and long-term consequences of these injuries. For example, one professional cyclist at the Tour de France last year crashed and suffered severe head trauma. In the heat of the competition, the rider got back on his bike and continued on to finish that portion of the race. Afterward he expressed confusion, because he did not even remember crashing. During a hospital trip afterwards the doctor explained that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury and could not continue to the next stage of the race. The cyclist was confused, because he didn’t quite remember much and didn’t understand what happened.

Cycling is a unique sport in that there are no time-outs or substitutions. That means that when an accident occurs and a cyclist suffers an injury, there is a tendency for the cyclist to jump back on the bike and keep riding. This presents obvious dangers, because the rider may have lost cognitive function and balancing ability. In addition, a subsequent fall and second head injury can exacerbate the long-term problems even more.

That is why the cycling organization is trying to improve its concussion management systems. The new protocol being developed will hopefully make it easier for those involved to identify signs of head injury like memory loss, headache, balance problems, and nausea.

Right now the organization already uses the well-known concussion test which involves basic tasks taken after a possible injury. The score on that test is then compared to the score taken as a baseline when the athlete was healthy. While not necessarily fool-proof, this offers at least some systematic way to try to catch these injuries.

Each Illinois brain injury attorney at our firm appreciates that bike accidents are often the cause of head injuries on the road. It should go without saying that helmets are always essential, and their use is often the difference between life and death. But helmets can only do so much. It is also very important to ensure that medical professionals are consulted following each of these accidents to ensure that a serious brain injury was not suffered. Sometimes the victim may not even realize the full extent of the harm.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Bike Struck By Car Recovers $675,000 in Brain Injury Lawsuit

Levin & Perconti Recover $975,000 in Wrongful Death Case Resulting from Fall from Balcony

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Posted In: Bicycle Accident

February 29, 2012

Advice from Bike Rider: Wear Your Helmet to Avoid TBI

Most traumatic brain injury stories these days focus on two main groups: young athletes and returning military veterans. Spurred by lawsuits, new research, and advocacy efforts, there seems to be a glut of information and awareness of these serious injuries affecting football players, soccer players, hockey players, and service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This spreading of information is a good thing, because the consequences of these injuries in these contexts have gone with little notice for far too long.

However, it is important not to forget those situations that actually cause the most overall traumatic brain injuries for the public at large: accidents on the road. Our Chicago brain injury attorneys know that car, truck, and bicycle accidents are consistently the leading cause of head injuries among all demographics, but particularly for children. Of course, the main way to prevent these injuries is to prevent the accidents. That includes abiding by all of the basic rules of safe driving, including the avoidance of distractions, properly following all street signs, and use of safety equipment like seat belts and child restraints.

In the bicycle accident context, wearing a helmet remains the single most important thing that cyclists can do to avoid more serious harm resulting from a traumatic brain injury. An editorial in the News Press by a self-proclaimed “head case” makes this same point. The author explains that he has suffered four concussions in his life. One of those was caused by a fall from a bike that left him unconscious for about 18 hours.

It is only recently that medical professionals have made clear pronouncements on the effects that seemingly innocuous head injuries can have. Parts of the brain can be permanently destroyed from a few concussions—or even just one. That is why it remains important for all local bike riders to ensure that their head is protected at all times. No matter how careful one is when cycling, there is a chance that another’s negligence might result in a collision. Of course, unlike those in cars and trucks, bike riders have much less built in protection. When a bicyclists is involved in an accident it is virtually guaranteed that they will be thrown off their back. That means that head contact with a hard substance is incredibly likely. If the rider does not have a helmet, then the damage is often quite severe. Risking this harm is never worth it.

Each Illinois brain injury attorney at our firm works with victims hurt in these situations. In a perfect world, there would be no need for a helmet because everyone would travel safely and no one would get in an accident. We do not live in that world, and so basic safety precautions like helmets are necessary. However, if you are hurt in one of these accidents—whether you were wearing a helmet or not—please remember that you have legal rights. The law demands that travelers exercise proper caution when on the road. When they do not, and they cause harm to another, the law demands that they pay redress for the harm that was caused.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Bike Struck By Car Recovers $675,000 in Brain Injury Lawsuit

Levin & Perconti Recover $975,000 in Wrongful Death Case Resulting from Fall from Balcony

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Bicycle Accident

March 26, 2010

Bicycle Safety Prevents Serious Head Injury

Warm weather is just around the corner, and with it, plenty of children wanting to take out their bicycles. But before letting their children go for a ride around the neighborhood, parents should take easy precautions to make sure their children stay safe and do not suffer a serious head injury. The Children’s Safety Network notes that 196 children under the age of 15 die each year as a result of bicycle-related brain injuries, about 8,900 are hospitalized, and 344,000 are treated and released from emergency departments.

Prevention starts with simply wearing a bicycle helmet. Although parents report that 85% of children who own bicycle helmets wear them, only about 15% of children aged 14 and younger wear helmets.

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute also notes that using a bicycle helmet significantly reduces the risk of a serious head injury as well. Wearing a bicycle helmet prevents 52% to 60% of bicycle-related head injury deaths and also prevents 68% to 85% of nonfatal head and scalp injuries. These head injuries can be very severe. Serious head injuries as a result of bicycle accident can include permanent disabilities affecting a child’s ability to work once they become an adult and can also result in life-long medical treatment and expenses.

Sometimes the impact on a child’s life is so severe that a lawsuit might be necessary to recover expenses paid to treat a child’s head or brain injury and save their life, or to recover expenses incurred when a child or adult dies as a result of a bicycle-related accident. The Illinois personal injury attorneysat Levin & Perconti have experience representing those injured in bicycle accidents as a result of the negligence of a vehicle’s driver. For example, our Chicago wrongful death lawyers reached a $2.3 million settlement on behalf of a bicyclist who was killed when a driver crossed the center of the road and hit the bicyclist. Through our experience, we have come to see the devastating affects that bicycle accidents can have on an individual or family. We strongly encourage readers to always wear a properly-fitted helmet when biking. Additionally, we suggest that before you hit the road this Spring, you review Illinois bicycle laws so that you understand how to operate your bicycle safely on Illinois streets, roads and bike trails.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Bicycle Accident, Brain Injury Lawsuits, Brain injuries in children

January 25, 2009

Collisions Cause Half of All Brain Injuries

Collisions involving cars, motorcycles, and bicycles are the contributing factors for half of the United States’ reported brain injuries. According to the article, “the risk of traumatic brain injury is highest in young men ages 15 to 24.” One symptom of someone suffering from a traumatic brain injury is the occurrence of a seizure within the first week after the injury. The article lists several other conditions that may result after the traumatic brain injury, but the most common are short term memory loss and communication problems.

For the full story, click here.

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Posted In: Bicycle Accident, Brain injury from motorcycle accidents, Brain trauma from car accidents, Concussions

January 22, 2009

9 Months Later Family Still Deals with Brain Injury Caused by a Motorcycle Accident

A young man is still recovering from traumatic brain injury after he crashed his new motorcycle. The young man drove off the road after visiting friends. Since the initial motorcycle accident, his mother states that he has made “little baby steps” but is still unable to speak or walk on his own. He makes some noises but since the brain injury he cannot talk to his family personally. The part of his brain that was damaged is the part that controls facial recognition. The family is still unsure of the amount of progress that he will have with his brain injury. He now has movement of his head and has been following things better with his eyes, but the progress of the brain injury is moving at a very slow pace. To read the full story, click here.

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Posted In: Bicycle Accident, Brain trauma from car accidents

December 16, 2008

A Son’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Leads to Creation of a Brain Injury Safe Haven

TBI Clubhouses are opening around the nation to help support brain injured victims. Brain injuries can occur for a variety of reasons from participation in contact sports to involvement in a car accident or bike accident. Brain injuries leave some victims unable to function or carry out daily tasks to live on their own. Traumatic Brain Injury homes exist to provide support, a social network and medical care to victims of brain injuries. A mother whose son experienced a brain injury after a truck accident has opened a new Midwest clubhouse to provide support to families who struggle similar to herself. Brain injury bills are high whether due to medical expenses or trial expenses and some foundations help in meeting those costs. To read more about this courageous mother’s story click here.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Bicycle Accident, Brain injuries in sports, Car Accident/Truck Accident

September 11, 2008

Helmet use reduces bicycle injury risk by up to 88%

A brain injury charity recently began an awareness campaign stating that the use of helmets for children reduces the risk of serious and life-changing brain injury by bicycling accidents. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of brain injury by 65-88 percent. Serious brain injury can occur from a bang on the head, even if there is no skull fracture involved.

For the full article.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Bicycle Accident

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

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