Motorcycle Injury Caused By Coup-Contrecoup

Motorcycle Injury Caused By Coup-Contrecoup

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

February 17, 2023

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is a kind of axonal injury

When you have contusions on both sides of your brain, you have a coup-contrecoup brain injury. When you hit your head hard enough in an accident, the force generates a contusion, but your brain also crashes against the other side of your skull, generating a second contusion.

Diffuse axonal injuries are prevalent in traffic accidents because of the great force of contact, particularly at high speeds. When your head moves, but your brain doesn’t, nerve tissue in your brain tears as the brain lags behind the movement. Certain brain chemicals are produced when nerve tissue rips, causing more harm.

These ripped nerves disrupt normal brain function and may result in irreversible brain damage, including a coma or vegetative state. It’s quite probable that you sustained diffuse axonal damage if you were unconscious following your motorcycle accident.

The degree of disability caused by this sort of injury varies substantially depending on which nerves in the brain were injured.

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Injury from Penetration

A penetration injury occurs when a sharp instrument pierces the skin and skull, entering the brain and carrying hair, skin, and bone pieces. These injuries are not as prevalent as the ones described above in motorcycle accidents.

If you had a penetration injury due to your accident, it was most likely caused by your head colliding with something sharp or a shard from the car penetrating your skull. Accidents that happen at high speeds are more likely to result in a penetration injury than accidents that happen at moderate rates.

After a motorcycle accident, how can you know whether you have a brain injury?

Even if you were lucky enough to walk away from a motorcycle accident, you might have had brain damage. This is true even if the event happened days or weeks ago. Some brain injuries might not manifest symptoms right away. If you or a loved one notices any of the symptoms listed below, you should go to the emergency hospital as soon as possible. Ignoring them might be deadly.

A headache, particularly one that continues to worsen without treatment, might be a sign of brain damage.

  • You’re weak.
  • Numbness in your fingers, toes, or legs.
  • You have trouble coordinating your movements, almost as if you’re inebriated.
  • Vertigo.
  • Nausea and vomiting are common side effects.
  • Speech problems, particularly slurring.

Frequently, loved ones must keep an eye on brain injury patients. Suppose you’re looking after a loved one who has suffered brain damage in a motorcycle accident. In that case, the CDC advises seeking medical help right away if you observe any of the following symptoms:

  • Drowsiness and tiredness to an extreme.
  • The victim does not wake up from his or her slumber.
  • Suffering from a loss of awareness.
  • When you look into the victim’s eyes, the pupils are various sizes.
  • Convulsions or seizures.
  • Amnesia to the point that the sufferer cannot recall relatives or friends, favorite locations, or the day or year.
  • Any odd conduct is defined as the victim acting in a way that is not typical.

The Effects of Brain Injuries on Victims of Motorcycle Accidents

Brain injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident might result in both temporary and permanent difficulties. The CDC and medical experts who research the consequences of brain trauma divide them into four categories. If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle accident and had brain damage, you may notice or experience any of the following difficulties:

Problems that Affect Thinking

Some people who have had a brain injury have issues that affect their capacity to think. Learning difficulties and the inability to remember information from long-term or short-term memory are two examples. Brain damage patients may also have difficulty thinking logically and may seem unreasonable at times. They may also struggle to make choices.

Sensation-Affecting Obstacles

A person’s senses might also be affected by a brain injury. You may have had double vision or varying degrees of blindness after sustaining a brain injury in a motorcycle accident. Some TBI sufferers experience numbness throughout their body, as well as dull or severe pain. Loss of taste, a persistent bitter or metallic taste in the mouth, hearing loss, and ringing in the ears are all possible side effects.

Language Issues Depending on which area of the brain has been affected, those who have had a TBI may have problems with speech and language. Some sufferers may be unable to talk because they cannot form words, or they may be unable to read or write. A TBI may wipe away all a person has learnt about language throughout their lives. Victims may also hear but not understand what others are saying or have difficulty grasping even basic ideas. A brain injury may also affect expressiveness, to the point that a person may feel something but be unable to convey it to physicians, family, or friends.

Emotions-Affecting Obstacles

It might be the consequence of a traumatic brain injury if you feel different or your loved one seems to have a different personality. Accidents may have a psychological influence, leading to sadness and anxiety due to the difficulties of dealing with an injury, as well as financial and emotional stress. A brain injury may also result in a chemical alteration in the brain, leading sufferers to act out of character, act violently against individuals they care about or show indications of worry or sadness.

After a Motorcycle Accident, Living with a Brain Injury

Doctors treat a brain injury differently depending on the severity of the injury and the degree of the damage it causes. Concussion victims must rest their brains and may alleviate discomfort with over- the-counter medications. Typically, doctors would urge sufferers to limit their activities for a few months, if not longer.

Those who have had concussions should look for any of the symptoms described above throughout their rehabilitation. The most serious risk for people who have had a concussion due to a motorcycle accident is suffering another concussion. After one concussion, sufferers usually recover rapidly, but recovery decreases with successive concussions. This implies that you should remain off your motorcycle and refrain from participating in any sports.

Weight loss, weight increase, weariness, dry skin, impotence, changes in menstruation, and hair loss are some of the symptoms that people with mild to severe concussions may encounter. A traumatic brain injury may affect glands in the body over time, resulting in hormonal imbalances that might cause some of the symptoms listed above.

Doctors may prescribe cognitive rehabilitation treatment (CRT) to aid a person who has suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and has lost brain and bodily function. Because each individual with a TBI has a unique experience, CRT is not a one-size-fits-all therapy for a brain injury. Instead, CRT entails individualized instruction to assist a TBI sufferer in learning how to adjust for cognitive impairments, such as memory and problem-solving abilities.

The Economic Consequences of a Brain Injury

Brain injuries are well-known for being among the most costly injuries. They come with a significant financial burden that may ruin a family even after they have recovered. The following are some of the financial expenses you may face as a result of brain damage sustained in a motorcycle accident:

Medical bills. Ambulance and emergency services, hospitalization, diagnostic imaging of the brain, follow-up appointments for persistent symptoms, pain medication, and, in the most difficult situations, surgery may be included in your medical bills if you have experienced a TBI.

The cost of rehabilitation. Many TBI sufferers must see experts restore function due to the loss of brain function. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and behavioral therapists may all be involved.

Nursing care that is provided on a long-term basis. A victim’s brain damage may need long-term nursing care for weeks, months, years, or permanently, depending on the severity of the injury. Even after being discharged, victims may need in-home nursing care to help them adjust.

Renovating your home. Families may be required to construct a wheelchair ramp, install handrails, add safety measures to hot water taps, and install additional locks, doors, and alarms due to the effect of a brain injury. All of these safeguards may make a victim’s house more accessible, but even the most basic modifications can cost thousands of dollars.

Services for replacement. The sufferer with a TBI from a motorcycle accident may have had several home duties before the TBI. When a brain injury sufferer cannot participate, it places additional strain on other family members, who may need to engage outside aid. Cleaning, lawn care, grocery shopping, food delivery, and childcare services are just a few examples.

Wages lost. A brain injury normally requires time off work, and the most serious damage might preclude a person from returning to work. For brain injury patients and their families, lost income and the possibility of future lost wages may be one of the most painful financial consequences. Disability benefits may be helpful, but they will not be enough to replace a full wage.

If you have suffered a brain injury due to a motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses, depending on the facts of the accident. As quickly as possible, speak with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to determine your best line of action.

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