Bicycling is an activity you can enjoy all year round in California, but there are risks involved. For instance, despite wearing a helmet, a car-bicycle crash could cause you to suffer a brain injury.
You might get over a concussion in a matter of weeks. However, recovery from a more serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) often requires professional help through a rehabilitation program.
About TBI
There are two forms of TBI: open and closed. Open refers to an injury caused when a foreign object pierces the skull and lodges in the brain. A closed TBI is much more common and results from a blow to the head. Falls and vehicle accidents are the leading causes of TBI.
The brain and recovery
Once the body stabilizes following an accident such as a car-bicycle crash, the brain cells start to repair themselves, forging pathways among cells untouched by injury. In fact, some of the healthy cells take on the functions the damaged cells once performed. However, to continue in this way, the brain cells need help, which is where rehabilitation comes in.
A rehabilitation program
Brain damage will disrupt your cognitive processes, for example, language, memory and concentration. Although the skills you learned over a lifetime are still present in your brain, the injury blocks access to some of that information. In a rehabilitation program, you will improve your cognitive skills and relearn abilities as basic as bathing, eating and walking. A TBI rehab program may continue for years if not for a lifetime but at enormous expense. However, if you are the victim of a vehicle-bicycle crash, you have the right to expect financial compensation to cover your current and future medical expenses and more.