With summer right around the corner here in New Haven, residents and visitors alike are starting to break out their motorcycles. For many, a motorcycle can be a great way to get from place to place while enjoying the warm weather. As with any motor vehicle, there can be risks involved. Proper safety gear such as properly fitting helmets and leather jackets can help protect the rider, but in some cases, this may not be enough to prevent serious injuries.
This was the case for one young woman who sustained a brain injury in a motorcycle accident in 2009. A car slammed into the motorcycle she and her boyfriend were riding. Her boyfriend was driving the motorcycle at the time and was not seriously injured. However, the woman, now 22-years-old, sustained several life-threatening injuries that put her in a coma for over two weeks.
The young woman’s brain swelled so much that part of her skull had to be taken out to relieve pressure. She remained in the hospital for 40 days, healing from her injuries that, in addition to the brain injury, included a ruptured stomach, broken jaw and facial bones, broken ribs and loss of vision in one eye. Her spleen and kidney were so badly damaged that they had to be removed.
Years after the accident, the woman is doing better and is currently studying radiology in hopes to help others the way her medical team helped her. She is one of the lucky ones. Brain injuries affect a large number of Americans every year; more than 50,000 die as a result.
This woman may be entitled to compensation from the driver of the car that hit her. She would be well advised to speak with a lawyer about her case.
Source: KELOLAND TV, “Battling Back After A Brain Injury,” Casey Wonnenberg, May 29, 2013
