James Cracknell blames brain injury for Strictly exit

In September 2019, James took part in the UK dance show, Strictly Come Dancing, and became the first celebrity to be voted out. He said he had found the experience very difficult due to not being able to remember the steps, something he attributed to his brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury

In July 2010, two-time British Olympian James Cracknell, was injured whilst attempting to cycle, run, row and swim from Los Angeles to New York, in just 18 days. During a cycling stint, he was hit by a petrol tanker, sustaining a traumatic brain injury. Cracknell attributes his survival to the wearing of a cycle helmet which during the accident was split in two, and has since become an advocate for wearing cycling helmets. However, despite wearing a cycling helmet, Cracknell was seriously injured resulting in being put into a medical induced coma.

The brain injury sustained by Cracknell damaged his frontal lobe which changed his personality with him developing a short temper, suffering problems with his memory and affecting his ability to learn. He also developed epilepsy and his vocabulary was also impacted. He has himself said that he has become a completely different person.

Brain injury compensation

This type of accident can happen to anyone, and cyclists on the roads of the UK can be vulnerable due to road layouts amongst other things.

In 2016, according to figures provided by ROSPA, there were 18,477 cycling accidents reported on Britain’s roads. Many of those will involve cyclists who are not wearing a helmet and will suffer brain injuries that could possibly have been avoided or lessened.

Indeed, both professional cyclist Bradley Wiggins and his coach Shane Sutton suffered injuries while riding on the UK’s roads, showing us that anyone can be at the mercy of a cycling accident. Despite wearing a helmet, Sutton suffered a brain injury. As with James Cracknell, it has been claimed that Sutton’s life was saved by the helmet.

Brain injury solicitors

If you have had an accident resulting in the need to make a brain injury claim then Blackwater Law medical negligence solicitors can help you. We will listen to the details of your claim and then advise you of the next steps all within our free initial chat. If we believe you have grounds to make a claim, we will represent you on a no win no fee basis.