What to Do If Involved in a Cycling Accident

Bicycle Accidents have grown in number over the past few years, as more people are choosing this as a method to commute. If you are riding a bicycle and have an accident with a vehicle, the actions you take at the accident scene and immediately after the crash is critical. The actions you take after the accident has occurred can have a significant impact on the extent you can recover from your injuries and the damage to your bicycle.

The first thing you should do is call the police. You should wait at the accident scene so the police can take and file a police report. This is a crucial step to take, even if you do not believe you have been injured. Many cyclists do not realize they have been injured until several hours after the accident took place. Even minor injuries can later develop into serious long-term problems.

You should also make sure you get your version of the events into the accident report. Many times, the police will take a statement from the driver of the vehicle and not even bother to discuss the accident with the cyclist. When giving your report, make sure to indicate all injuries sustained, no matter how major or minor.

One of the best things you can do if you are the victim of a bicycle accident is to seek professional advice. Many bike related accidents involve complex issues that require the help of a professional. It is wise to consult a personal injury attorney who has a good understanding of bike accident cases.

If you have been the victim of a bicycle accident and would like to speak with a plaintiff attorney, contact us to schedule an appointment or consultation.

Additional Brain Stimulation Can Help Recovery after Injury

A group of researchers has been quietly experimenting with how to increase recovery after a brain injury using additional stimulation, including intellectual, cognitive, physical and social stimulation.

Some of these techniques are currently being used at the Toronto Rehab and Canada Research Chair in Traumatic Brain Injury. There, neuroscientists are researching why brain injury recovery can be impeded, and focusing on the development of treatments and strategies that can help defeat the effect of such impediments.

What is interesting about this body of work at the center is that the researchers have reason to believe that moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, could actually be a progressive neurological disorder. This is obviously a very different way of looking at traumatic brain injury, and has some interesting implications for treatment down the line.

According to the neuroscientists, soon after a brain injury, the area of the brain that is damaged leaves the undamaged and healthy areas of the brain under-stimulated. Over time, these areas of the brain actually begin to deteriorate as a result of lack of use, and lack of stimulation.

The researchers found that when people were given additional stimulation especially physical, social and cognitive simulation, it helped block the deterioration of these areas of the brain.

The field of brain injury diagnosis and treatment is a vast area of study, and there are several studies being performed across the world, aiming not just to speed up diagnosis of brain injury, but also to develop treatments that can help limit the long-term effects of these injuries.

Brain injuries are some of the most frequent injuries resulting from bicycle accidents. Even a bicyclist, who is wearing a helmet, could be at risk of traumatic brain injury in an accident.