New Jersey Brain Injuries From Motorcycle Accidents Attorney

Many vehicles share the highways and byways in New Jersey. The most vulnerable ones on the road are motorcycles. Motorcyclists are more than 28 times more likely to die in a crash and five times more likely to be seriously injured.

Over the last decade, motorcycle rider fatalities have fluctuated, with the highest number in 2011 (93) and the lowest number of deaths in 2015 (50). Between 2012-2016, there were close to 12,000 motorcycle accidents in New Jersey. If you have been involved in a motorcycle crash in the Garden State, statistics indicate you face an 82 percent chance of sustaining injuries.

In 2017, 32.5 percent of motorcycle fatalities involved DWI riders, and 26 percent of fatal crashes resulted from speeding, while another 24 percent involved inattentive drivers.

In 2018, 525 fatal motorcycle accidents killed 564 people. Only 81 percent of the fatalities were wearing an approved Department of Transport (DOT) helmet. In New Jersey, motorcyclists must wear a DOT (FMVSS 218) approved helmet. A helmet can save lives and reduce traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that are a common occurrence in a motorcycle crash.

The Vulnerable Brain

The brain is highly vulnerable to jolts and impacts, even if being ejected from a motorcycle does not break the skull. Hitting the road or another object can result in internal damage to the brain as it is slammed from side to side against the inside of the head.

An estimated 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI every year. Of that number, 230,000 are hospitalized and survive, and 50,000 die. Other injuries heal over time but recovering from a traumatic brain injury may take months or years or remain permanent.

Brain Injury Symptoms

Brain injury symptoms are varied. They may include, but are not limited to:

• Vomiting
• Changing sleep habits
• Loss of balance
• Sensitivity to lights or sounds
• Blurred vision
• Dilated pupils
• Mood swings
• Numbness
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Slurred speech
• Confusion
• Retrograde amnesia, partial or total memory loss of accident pre-crash
• Anterograde amnesia, partial or complete memory loss post-crash
• Feeling of pressure in the head

Traumatic brain injury symptoms have also been known to worsen after a TBI and post-concussion syndrome. Persistent post-concussive symptoms, or post-concussion syndrome, means concussion symptoms last beyond the expected recovery period. The symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, memory problems, and problems concentrating. TBIs are difficult to deal with because they are not “seen” injuries, but they have a serious, often lifelong, impact on a survivor’s quality of life.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Filing a personal injury claim seeking compensation for medical expenses is a place to start. Dealing with insurance companies is a part of that process. However, insurance companies would rather not pay out what an injury is worth but instead try to get the survivor to settle for the lowest compensation possible.

They suggest TBI concussion symptoms are not related to your motorcycle accident, and it would be best if you take a quick, low settlement, even before you know the extent of your injuries.

Contact Our Experienced New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Now!

If you have sustained a brain injury in a motorcycle accident, seek medical attention quickly; get a complete and thorough diagnosis and treatment plan, keep all medical receipts and records of other expenses, and keep a written record, with pictures, if possible, of the accident scene and your injuries, and present them to a brain injury lawyer.

The team of experienced New Jersey brain injury attorneys from the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm can assist you in dealing with insurance companies while you heal. It may be a difficult journey for you, as you may deal with speech therapy, home modifications, multiple medications, cognitive therapy and occupational or physical therapy.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit may assist you in recovering your medical expenses. A Todd J. Leonard brain injury lawyer can also seek to recover other forms of compensation, such as pain and suffering and lost wages and income.

At the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm, we have counseled and represented many traumatic brain injury and motorcycle accident victims for more than 30 years and have significant experience obtaining maximum financial compensation. Our firm can help you recover the damages you need to get your life back on track after suffering a serious motorcycle accident injury.

Contact us for a free, confidential consultation today at (973) 920-7900. There is no risk in calling because we never charge a fee unless we can help you recover compensation for your injuries. We have offices conveniently located in Denville and Morristown.