Jeff's Idea Lab Blog

 Car accidents are one of the leading causes of mild traumatic brain injury in British Columbia.

A mild traumatic brain injury can occur in a bunch of different ways. Sometimes the injured person stikes some part of the inside of the vehicle, such as the windshield or headrest. In other cases the injured individual's brain undergoes a a sudden accelerartion/deceleration movement (the mechanics of this type of injury are similar to a whiplash)without their head actually hitting anything.

What's the simplest way to describe what happens inside a person's skull when they sustain a brain injury ?

Think of the brain tissue as being like a soft sponge. What happens is that the soft spung is violently thrust up against the the very hard bone which forms the interior of the skull. The brain tissue is squished. As a result it bruises,tears and/or swells.

What are the symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury ?

Here are a few symptoms which may be experienced individually or in combination:

1. An altered state of consciousness;
2. dizziness;
3. severe headache;
4. confusion;
5. persistent vomiting
6. Sleep disturbance;
7. difficulties concentrating;
8. difficulties retaining new information;
9. depression and irritability

Unfortunately, many family physicans in British Columbia are not well educated regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic injury. As such, it is not unusual for a mild traumatic brain injury to go undiagnosed by a family doctor.

A valuable medical program that is not well know amongst primary medical treators in British Columbia is the GF Strong Rehab Center's Early Response Brain Injury Service. This service is available for anybody with a recent mild traumatic brain injury either by self-referral or through a family doctor. Go to the GF Strong Rehab Centre's website to get more information or to locate a referral form.

Often it is the victim of mild traumatic injury who must seek out appropriate medical attention. More to the point, the sooner they pursue proper medical treatment the more likely they are to make a good recovery.

The monsoons are upon us once more.

For Vancouver cyclists the rainy season means that extra caution is advisable.

Why?

Under the best of weather conditions cycling on Vancouver's roadways can be a risky proposition. But once the rain starts to fly the plight of cyclists becomes even more pronounced.

What safety issues should cyclists be aware of ?

The research indicates that the risk factors include:

- Time of Day : 17 percent of deaths and 23 percent of injuries occur during the afternoon rush hour. And 30 percent of cyclist fatalities happen at night or under artificial light conditions;

- Location : Cyclists are more likely to be injured or killed at an intersection or at locations with traffic signals or other traffic control devices. In rural areas, a significant number of cyclist fatalities occur on roads with posted speed limits of 80 km/h or more;

- Age : Cyclists under the age or 24 have significantly higher death and injury rates than the rest of the population.

What issues are specific to cyclist injury claims:

- When a cyclist gets injured I've found that ICBC almost always contests responsibility/liability. The information provided by witnesses is often critical to winning a cyclist's case. The moral of the story here is get the names, telephone numbers and addresses of witnesses;

- The damage caused to your bike may also be useful in sorting out the issue of responsibility/liability. Don't get your bike fixed before having it photographed and inspected by an individual who has the skill necessary to properly document and describe the damage caused by your accident;

- If the car that hit you was damaged in the accident, this damage also helps tell the tale of how the accident happened. Once the damage to this car gets repaired that "evidence" is gone. If you bring this matter up with your ICBC adjuster they'll probably tell you not to worry as they've taken pictures of the car. In my experience the quality of their pictures is poor at best.

So all my cyclist clients and friends, stay safe. And be careful out there.