A person embarking on a bicycle ride likely does not anticipate returning with an injury, no matter how serious. However, bicycling and associated bicycle accidents are indeed common sources of injury, from simple broken bones to major head injuries. Despite an Indiana rider having appropriate bike awareness, he or she may be blind-sided by a negligent or drunk driver, and left with major and life-altering injuries.

Bicycle-related injuries lead to emergency room visits for over 500,000 people every year. Many of these injuries are head injuries. Deaths that occur from "wheeled sports" are most commonly due to these types of injury. Furthermore, head injuries after participating in such sports can also lead to permanent disability.

Of the approximately 600 deaths that occur annually from bicycle accidents, roughly two-thirds of these deaths stem from traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, which typically occur when a person's head abruptly and violently hits an object, can disrupt a person's normal brain function. Depending on the extent of a person's injury, a person may have a mild, moderate or severe brain injury.

Significantly, approximately 21 percent of traumatic brain injuries to children and adolescents stem from sports and recreational activities, of which bicycling is one. Bicycling injuries are the leading emergency room sports injuries for children ages five to 14.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, you may wish to consider consulting with an attorney. An injury following a bicycle accident can have debilitating consequences and require long-term medical care. If a negligent driver contributed to the accident, a victim may have a cause of action for financial recovery.

Source: aans.org, "Sports-related Head Injury," accessed Feb. 19, 2016