Not all brain injuries are caused by direct skull impacts or blunt-force trauma to the head. In bicycle and motorcycle accidents, a rider could suffer a traumatic brain injury due to rotational forces. A helmet that offers rotational force protection is designed to reduce the amount of motion transferred to the rider’s brain during certain types of impacts.
The Effects of Rotational Forces on the Brain
If a person’s head strikes the ground in a certain way, such as at an angle, the inertia of the motion can cause the head and skull to rotate rapidly, and the brain to rotate within the skull as a result. This rotational movement can place stress on the brain’s tissues and cause a specific type of traumatic brain injury known as a diffuse-axonal injury.
This type of brain injury can cause symptoms such as:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Trouble communicating
- Persistent headaches
- Temporary or permanent brain damage
- Motor deficits and dysfunction
- Blurred vision
- Behavioral changes
- Loss of consciousness or coma
- Death
A diffuse-axonal injury is a serious brain injury where the brain’s axons or nerve fibers are stressed, torn or sheared off due to rapid acceleration, deceleration or rotational forces. These injuries can occur in accidents such as violent motor vehicle collisions and catastrophic falls, as well as due to physical abuse and Shaken Baby Syndrome.
What Is Rotational Force Protection?
Rotational force protection is a unique safeguard against traumatic brain injuries specifically caused by rapid rotation of the head and brain. This type of protection technology is present in some modern bicycle and motorcycle helmet designs to help prevent this specific type of brain injury in accidents.
Helmets with rotational force protection incorporate technologies designed to reduce how much rotational energy reaches the brain when the head suffers an angled impact. One example is a slip layer built into the helmet that allows the outermost shell to rotate relative to the rider’s head. Upon impact, this helmet design prevents all of the rotational energy from transferring directly to the rider’s head and skull.
Another example is the Multi-directional Impact Protection System, or MIPS. This design incorporates an independently rotating layer into the roof of the helmet to provide low-friction rotational prevention. In an accident, this helmet design disperses energy safely away from the head and brain, effectively preventing the shearing or tearing of brain structures.
How to Seek Financial Compensation for Injuries Caused By Rotational Force in Nevada
Choosing the right helmet as a bicycle rider or motorcyclist in Nevada can make a big difference to your overall safety. Purchasing a helmet with rotational force protection innovations can help prevent brain injuries not only from blunt-force trauma but from the twisting of the brain inside the skull during angled impacts.
If you still get diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury of any kind after a motorcycle accident or bicycle accident, you could be eligible for financial compensation from the person or party that caused the crash. In Nevada, if you can prove that someone else is at fault, that person’s insurance company can pay for your losses.
If you were not complying with Nevada’s universal helmet law, which requires all riders to wear safety-approved helmets, this could diminish the value of your settlement by giving the insurance company a reason to blame you for your brain injury. The best way to protect yourself physically and financially is by wearing a helmet with rotational force protection on every ride. For help with your Las Vegas injury case, contact Koch & Brim today.