Insights & Guides
In-depth guidance on traumatic brain injuries, cycling accidents, and the legal process — written from years of Colorado trial and litigation experience serving Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and communities statewide.
By Attorney Dan D'Angelo
Trial Lawyer · Brain Injury Advocate · Avid Cyclist
Riding a bike is stored as implicit, procedural memory in the cerebellum and basal ganglia — areas more protected from TBI than memory centers responsible for facts and dates.
Studies estimate 40–50% of mild TBI patients leave the ER without a documented TBI diagnosis. You may still have a valid claim — here's why.
The right questions to ask before hiring a TBI attorney — including experience with normal imaging, missed ER diagnoses, and insurance challenges.
T1, T2, FLAIR, fMRI, SWI, DTI, MRS, ASL — different MRI techniques look at different brain components. Why this matters for proving a TBI.
Imaging sensitivity, slice thickness, and timing all matter. A 'normal' scan does not mean no TBI occurred — particularly for mild TBI and concussion.
No. TBIs — especially mild ones — are diagnosed using clinical factors like loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia, and Glasgow Coma Scale.
Loss of consciousness is only one of several diagnostic factors. Amnesia, altered mental state, neurological deficits, and intracranial lesions also matter.
Coup-contrecoup injuries, rotational forces, whiplash — the brain can be damaged inside the skull even without direct head impact.
Mild, moderate, severe, complicated mild — TBI severity classification is evolving. The new CBI-M framework aims to better reflect real outcomes.
TBI is often called the 'invisible injury.' Symptoms may overlap with other conditions, be delayed, or be masked by pain from other injuries.
A complete list of physical, cognitive, communication, and behavioral symptoms — plus the clinical signs doctors look for to diagnose a TBI.
Traumatic vs non-traumatic, primary vs secondary injury, diffuse axonal injury — a foundational guide to how brain injuries occur and evolve.
Common signs that a bicycle defect or improper assembly caused your crash — and exactly what to do to preserve evidence and protect your claim.
Modern bikes have 50+ components. Here's the full list of parts that — if defective or improperly assembled — can cause a rider to lose control.
Big box stores routinely fail to properly assemble bikes. Improper torque on stems, bolts, or fasteners can cause sudden, catastrophic component failure.
Colorado-specific guidance: from stopping at the scene to filing your own crash report when police decline to investigate. Protect your case from minute one.
A bicycle helmet's protective lifespan is limited. Replace it after any crash, visible damage, fit changes — or every three to five years with regular use.
Multi-use trails and regional paths come with specific rules — yield to pedestrians, stay right, ride the posted speed limit, and more.
A sharrow is a painted bicycle-and-chevron marking that tells drivers and cyclists they're sharing the lane — and where the cyclist should ride for safety.
Bicycles are 'vehicles' in Colorado and may ride on most roads. Here's where you can ride, when you can take the lane, and the hazards you don't have to ride through.
Driverless Waymo taxis are now mapping and testing on Denver streets, with public rides planned for early 2026. What it means for cyclists and road users.
The current mild/moderate/severe TBI grading is being challenged by a proposed new CBI-M framework that adds biomarkers, imaging, and patient-specific modifiers.
Two new Colorado laws effective January 1, 2026 are relevant to bike and brain injury cases — e-bike class labeling (HB25-1197) and car seat replacement (HB25-1179).
Attorney Dan D'Angelo designed Bike Brain Law's website to help Colorado bicycle crash and TBI victims find answers — and a trusted, experienced lawyer.
