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Traumatic Brain Injuries and how wearing a bike helmet can protect you
I'm writing this days away from Halloween, and the subject is fittingly gruesome. As a personal injury attorney in Bellingham, WA, I work with clients who have experienced TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury - due to high speed collisions while they were riding their bikes. This can entail concussions, where the brain may swell and/or fluid collects under the skull, which can lead to brain damage. A head injury, which can come from a very violent rotation of the head, can mean the brain remains stationary while all the bones, tendons, and muscles move. And sometimes hit the pavement, or a car's windshield. Blood vessels and nerves fueling this precious organ may be torn apart. You can imagine how monstrously damaging these forces can be. It helps to be educated if you have been injured in an accident, and painful as it might seem, here is more information on traumatic brain injury, why you should always wear a helmet, and what you should do if you were hurt in a car accident.
If a loved one has been killed while riding a motorcycle, you are suffering too
Each time bikers get on the road, they are at the mercy of other drivers in cars that weigh on average four tons - not to mention tracks and semi-tractor trailers. In a crash with one of them, the odds seriously are stacked against the motorcycle driver. Terribly, sometimes this means fatal injuries for the motorcycle driver. If a loved one has been killed while on a motorcycle, chances are you dealing with painful grief and worry. Though nothing can bring back your family as it was before, help is available for the survivor's journey.
Motorcycle riders are especially vulnerable to fatal injuries from reckless drivers
Washington has a rich and varied landscape, from gorgeous beaches to some of the most incredible mountains in the country. Bellingham and the environs surrounding it in Whatcom and Skagit Counties is blessed with both land and sea, making it a wonderful place in which to work and play. Many residents enjoy traveling these landscapes by motorcycle. While most every ride is a wonderful way and safe experience, every time bikers get on the road, they are at the mercy of other drivers in vehicles that weight on average four tons. In a crash with one of them, the odds seriously are stacked against the motorcycle driver. Terribly, sometimes this means fatal injuries for the motorcycle driver who is involved in a wreck with a car or truck.
What's up with rubbernecking?
We've all seen it - and face it, probably done it ourselves. There's an accident on the shoulder, and we MUST look. Even if we try not to. What is behind this normal, annoying, and dangerous reaction? It's one more example of distracted driving that Bellingham, WA car accident lawyer Bill Coats looked into, and it turns out, there's a potential bright side for this behavior.
5 Steps to Recover from Your Injury
Crashes with tractor trailers have catastrophic consequences for others on the road
Semi-tractor trailers are to cars, trucks, and SUVs like those smaller vehicles are to pedestrians. In an accident of a semi vs. almost any other type of vehicle, the semi will do much more damage than it, and its passengers, would receive. These trucks take longer to correct if they’re on a disastrous path, as well. Their drivers have to be extremely careful and focused at all times behind their wheels. Therefore, when truck drivers drive recklessly, negligently, distractedly, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the effects can be devastating. These can be complex claims, as not all injury accidents clearly or easily reveal the singular at-fault party. It can be a combination of factors that lead to an accident. If you have been involved in a wreck with a tractor trailer, you're likely full of questions about how to receive compensation for your losses. Click to learn more.
Bicyclists lack the protection motorists have in crashes, and that means worse injuries
Little is there to protect your body from the ground if you are thrown over your bike’s handlebars. Always wear a helmet, because it can be the only thing that protects you from injuries. Yet it is technically not a law in all cities that bicyclists must wear helmets. A car has seat belts, airbags, and other safety features that are engineered to protect driver and passengers in case of a crash. However, a bike lacks these features. Chances are, if you have wrecked your bike and gone over the handlebars, you were injured and might be facing a long road to recovery.
If this accident happened because of the recklessness or negligence of another party, don’t face the burden of finding compensation for your losses alone. Click to learn more about your legal options if you were hit on your bike.
Six tips on driving safely around kids
According to AAA, the afternoon hours are particularly dangerous for kids being hit by cars. Nearly a quarter of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Children don’t have enough experience to know what to do in unexpected situations that can happen so fast, and sometimes they do unexpected things. No driver wants to be responsible for a devastating accident at any time – especially one that involves children. Drivers need to be especially careful when driving around kids, and here are some things from AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully campaign to think about.
Cases involving elderly drivers have particular challenges
Bellingham is well-suited for retirees. The pace of life here is relaxed, the environment is beautiful with so many ways to enjoy it. Many choose to leave big cities and their problems behind in their later years. However, when a driver – at any age – doesn’t pay heed to their limitations and injures someone as a result, this may constitute negligence or break a law. If you are the victim in a car accident case like this, you may be entitled to damages that resulted.