Many of our San Jose area readers will not soon forget the airliner crash that occurred at the San Francisco International Airport over the summer, leaving three people dead. Considering the potential for devastation that any airline crash presents, it seems like a miracle that there weren't more people hospitalized with a catastrophic or serious injury. Those who did suffer serious injuries, however, are still dealing with the crash, including one passenger who was recently released from the San Francisco General Hospital.

According to a recent report, the passenger, a female, had been hospitalized ever since the crash that left her with severe burns, intestinal injuries and, unfortunately, a spinal cord injury that has paralyzed her. The report indicates that the passenger went through 30 surgeries during the treatment of her injuries. She was unable to eat solid food for approximately two months. She has now been transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

This airliner crash was all over national news when it occurred. Apparently the aircraft crashed into a seawall after landing, which separated the back of the plane from the rest of the aircraft. Most of our readers probably know that three teenagers died in the crash, one of whom was run over by a fire truck that was responding to the accident. An investigation into the exact cause of the airline accident is still underway.

While often viewed as a safe and fun activity, bicycling can also be extremely dangerous. In fact, information recently released by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons showed that out of the estimated 447,000 sports-related brain injuries, about 86,000 were related to bicycle accidents. This number is compared to the roughly 47,000 associated with the more publicized football head and brain injuries.

In short, riding a bicycle should be considered a dangerous sport. Whether for pleasure or out of necessity, individuals who choose to ride a bicycle should always wear a helmet. During 2009, 90 percent of reported bicycle accidents involved bicyclists who were not wearing a helmet, the majority of which involved men in their mid-40s.

Individuals involved in bicycle accidents often sustain serious injuries which have long-lasting implications. In cases where an individual is not wearing a helmet, a head or brain injury is highly likely. Not only can a brain injury be fatal, but it can also result in an individual suffering short-term memory loss, being paralyzed or suffering cognitive impairments.

While any car accident can be serious and result in those impacted sustaining painful injures, those car accidents in which bicyclists are involved are often among the most serious in nature. Most people can likely recall being a child and learning to ride a bicycle. 

A 14-year-old boy recently suffered numerous injuries after the bicycle on which he was riding collided with a car. According to a police report, the accident occurred at an intersection around 9 p.m. Police continue to investigate factors that may have contributed to the accident, but it's clear that the car struck the bicycle resulting in the boy being ejected from the bike.

Health advocates, sports fanatics and athletes all might be watching the same news story as of today, with a judge set to consider the 222 lawsuits involving brain injuries among former NFL players.

This isn't the trial, not yet. Instead, the judge first has to decide whether the matter of players' brain injuries belongs in a civil court or whether it must be handled via arbitration due to the league's collective bargaining agreement. The NFL seeks the dismissal of the personal injury lawsuits.

The players behind the negligence allegations against the NFL argue that they played football under the impression that head injuries were not as serious as they have turned out to be. Players who've sustained concussions suffer from depression, dementia and neurological disorders. They argue that the league knew of those risks but purposely hid the true medical facts from the players who deserved to understand what they were risking.

Various types of injuries can result from motor vehicle accidents. Some might be relatively minor, like a cut or bruise. Some are more clearly severe such as bone fractures. Some are catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injuries and brain damage. And, as it turns out, even what might seem like a so-called minor head injury could have a serious impact on a crash victim.

Radiology, a medical journal, reports on a study that evaluated the brains of patients who had sustained single concussions. They compared the MRIs of those brain injury patients over time and to those who never sustained a concussion and found that there was lasting damage. The revelation proves how all it takes is one accident for a person's life to potentially change in a significant way.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than one million people in the U.S. sustain mild forms of brain injury, including concussions, every year. The head injuries are sustained through different incidents, sports being a common and popularly-discussed cause. But news regarding the long-term health impact of a singular concussion also has meaning for those who are suffering from a brain injury due to a car accident.