When cyclists and pedestrians are involved in accidents with motor vehicles, there’s a very good chance they will suffer severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries. Even with a bike helmet, a cyclist has far less protection than someone in a car, so the odds of these serious injuries are higher.
One important thing to note about brain injuries is that they often have long-term symptoms. While many physical injuries heal in a matter of weeks or months, brain injuries can last for years—or even for the rest of a person’s life. Why does this happen?
Brain healing is complex
The problem is that brain healing is complicated and not always as effective as healing in other parts of the body. In many cases, the issue comes down to the fact that the brain can’t regenerate lost neurons—brain cells— that were damaged in the accident. Other types of cells in the body, such as skin and blood cells, regenerate regularly. But since the brain doesn’t always have this ability, healing is much more limited.
What often happens is that an injured person will attend therapy and rehabilitation sessions. These sessions focus on helping the brain create new neural pathways to accomplish the same tasks in different ways.
Often, this process works to some extent, and people regain certain skills. They may see improvements in memory function, for example, or relearn physical abilities like walking and talking. However, rehabilitation may only go so far. When the brain can’t find new neural pathways, some symptoms may never heal, or recovery may plateau.
Because of the long-term nature of these injuries, it’s very important for injured parties to understand what options they have to seek financial compensation.