Have you recently been involved in a motorcycle accident? If so, you should be sure to watch out for health concerns that could appear in the days or weeks following your crash.
Even if you were wearing a helmet and other protective gear during your accident, riding a motorcycle makes you vulnerable to severe injuries. Unfortunately, brain trauma, concussions, fractures, and internal bleeding are common effects of motorcycle accidents.
Read on to learn the signs of health concerns you should watch out for after a motorcycle accident.
Seeking Medical Treatment Following a Crash
If you are in obvious pain following your motorcycle crash, your first step should be to seek medical treatment. Depending on the severity of your injuries, your best option may be to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital directly from the scene of the crash.
However, whether you have severe injuries or do not feel any pain at all, receiving medical attention after your crash is essential to identifying any potential injuries or problems. A physician can identify underlying medical concerns that you may not notice at a glance.
Seeking medical treatment is also important in your case settlement. The insurance company responsible for paying out the accident claim will need to see evidence of your medical treatment to provide supplemental income for your hospital bills.
Signs of Brain Trauma to Look Out for After an Accident
Head injuries are some of the most common injuries that occur during motorcycle accidents. While wearing a helmet can help protect your head during collisions and harsh impacts, helmets are not always 100% effective at preventing traumatic brain injury (TBI). Unfortunately, around 15% of hospital-treated, helmeted motorcyclists still experience TBI.
Sometimes, the symptoms of a mild brain injury are not immediately apparent in the busyness following your crash. However, we recommend keeping an eye out for these subtle signs that may indicate that you are experiencing brain trauma:
- Persistent headaches
- Sudden tiredness
- Balance problems
- Slurred speech or unusual speech patterns
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Memory issues
Overall, if you notice any unusual changes in your mood or behavior, we recommend seeking medical treatment from a professional.
Signs of Internal Bleeding Following a Motorcycle Crash
If you experienced a harsh impact as part of the accident, you probably have at least a few bruises throughout your body. However, the impact may have gone deeper than surface-level, resulting in internal bleeding. Here are a few symptoms of internal bleeding to watch out for after your crash:
- Weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- Dizziness
- Severe headache
- Low blood pressure
- Abdominal pain
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
Mental Health Concerns
Experiencing a motorcycle accident can be stressful, scary, and traumatic. Even if you feel physically fine after your crash, you should also watch out for mental health concerns that could make moving forward from your traumatic experience challenging.
Many accident victims experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a mental health condition triggered by a traumatic event. PTSD can produce symptoms such as:
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Heightened reactions
- Depressed mood
- Irritability
- Social isolation
- Avoidance of driving or riding your motorcycle
- Loss of interest in activities
- Emotional detachment
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, we recommend talking to a mental health professional.
Our Motorcycle Accident Attorney Team Can Help
If you’ve experienced any injuries or medical conditions resulting from your accident, you may have expensive medical bills coming your way. Seeking adequate compensation from the responsible insurance company and the at-fault driver is essential to moving forward from your accident.
At Law Tigers Motorcycle Lawyers, we have the experience necessary to represent you after a motorcycle accident. Contact our team today at 1-800-529-8443 to schedule a free case evaluation.
