San Francisco is a beautiful city –and is especially inviting for bicyclists. If you’re a fan of biking, you know that wearing a helmet is key to bike safety. While wearing a helmet when you’re on your bike is always the best policy, the fact is that you can suffer a serious head injury in a bike accident even if you’re religious about wearing your helmet. If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured in a bike accident, you need the professional legal counsel of an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer on your side.
Wearing a Helmet Is in Your Best Interests
It is important to recognize that wearing a bike helmet when you take to the streets of San Francisco on your bike is always in your best interest. The following statistics highlight this point:
- In the majority of bike fatalities, the most serious injuries are to the head.
- Helmet use is estimated to decrease the chance of sustaining a head injury by half and the chance of sustaining a face or neck injury by 33 percent.
- About 2 percent of all traffic fatalities are bicyclists.
If you ride a bike, you should wear a helmet.
A Helmet Cannot Prevent All Head Injuries
The fact is that a safety helmet can help protect your head from injury and can decrease the severity of any injury you sustain, but you can sustain a serious – even deadly – head injury despite your helmet. As the science of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) continues to garner attention, it becomes more and more clear that even a relatively minor head injury can be extremely serious and extremely unpredictable. In short, a head injury can quickly upend the trajectory of your life and career.
Head Injuries and Their Symptoms
Head injuries are nothing if not unpredictable, and they can go undetected until they’ve had time to become more serious and more difficult to treat. Remember that early diagnosis is closely associated with an improved outcome, so seek immediate medical attention after a bike accident. There are several symptoms commonly linked to head injuries that it’s important to be aware of, including:
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Drowsiness and/or fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
- Concentration disturbances and/or memory problems
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Emotional consequences, such as mood swings, increased anxiety, and depression
If the injury is especially serious, the victim may lose consciousness, have convulsions or seizures, be extremely confused, exhibit slurred speech, and/or have unusual changes in behavior.
If a Motorist Leaves You Injured in a Bike Accident, Contact an Experienced San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney Today
While wearing a bike helmet is your first line of defense, the fact is that your head remains vulnerable to serious injury in a traffic accident. The formidable personal injury attorneys at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc., in San Francisco are committed to fighting for your rights and for your rightful compensation. Our experienced legal team is on your side, so please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at (415) 851-6486 for more information today.
Reference: Bike Safety, NHTSA
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