After a terrifying brain injury, Auckland woman Michelle will never be the same again ‘A SCOOTER STOLE MY LIFE’
Four years ago, Michelle Mann was an energetic businesswoman climbing the corporate ladder at an Auckland bank, filling her weekends with exciting travel, fancy-dress parties and coffee dates.
Today, she’s lucky to be able to leave the house for a short trip to the supermarket after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
In December 2018, during her usual morning walk to work in central Auckland, Michelle was struck from behind by an electric scooter and knocked headfirst onto the footpath.
“It was like being rugby tackled,” recalls Michelle, 53, who moved to New Zealand from England in 2013 with her husband Keith, 54. “The next thing I remember is regaining consciousness on the ground with pain in my neck. I was unconscious for four to five minutes.”
As well as a moderate to severe brain injury, the former business performance analyst also suffered fractured ribs, and injuries to her left knee, right shoulder, hip and jaw, the latter two both requiring further surgery.
“A colleague from work was near the traffic lights where it happened and heard the loud thud of me being hit,” shares Michelle. “He turned around and I was sprawled out on the pavement. But I have a very patchy memory.”
Michelle recalls seeing that the young female rider of the e-scooter was wearing checked shorts and explained that she’d tried to brake but couldn’t.
“I don’t blame her,” Michelle insists. “She asked if I wanted to go to hospital, but my colleague said he’d take over, so he got her name and number, then she left.”
Since it looked like it might rain, Michelle suggested they head into the office, not realising the extent of her injuries because she was in shock.
“In situations of stress, my natural instinct is logic,” she explains. “I was thinking how I’d need to buy new clothes because mine were dirty.
“Once I was safe in the foyer at work and realised what’d happened, I just lost it, then I went to the health centre.”
Ten days after she was bowled over, Michelle – once a bubbly “people person” – was diagnosed with postconcussion syndrome.
“The pre-accident me was high-energy and always doing a million things at once, so when I suddenly started talking slowly and not really being able to engage in conversation, people really noticed,” she says.
“I was also diagnosed with cognitive communication impairment, which means it’s challenging for me to be around environments or people that are unfamiliar, or to be with one person for an extended amount of time. Life is very challenging.”
The injury to her brain means it can become overloaded by too much stimulation, like the bright lights at a shop or the loud buzz of a café.
Six months ago, two and a half years after her concussion, Michelle was finally able to go out to a restaurant with friends, but cognitive fatigue meant she had to leave.
“Basically, my brain goes, ‘I’ve had enough!’ and I can’t function any more,” she says. “It can be terrifying. The first time I attempted to go for a walk, I got three minutes down the road and my legs wouldn’t work. My brain couldn’t talk to my legs because it’d run out of energy and I had to sit on the berm for about 20 minutes before getting myself home with sheer determination.”
For Michelle – who was
‘It was like being rugby tackled... I just lost it!’
made redundant in March 2021 – having supportive family and friends has helped her through the ongoing pain and exhaustion.
“It has been extremely difficult for my husband and he has been amazing,” she enthuses. “We’ve been together 25 years and he’s always been by my side. I can’t drive, so he takes me everywhere when I’m not using a taxi. I used to be independent and it’s difficult for him to see me so debilitated.”
When Michelle made a claim through Lime Scooters, with the help of the Brain Injury Association, the company said the rider was at fault and apologised for her bad experience. In Michelle’s eyes, the cost of insurance should be added to e-scooter rental fees so victims of accidents can claim for out-of-pocket expenses.
“Who’s protecting the pedestrians?” asks Michelle. “I want to see more responsibility from the e-rental providers. These things are accidents waiting to happen and the outcome is catastrophic.”
As she continues to slowly recover, Michelle’s hoping for change around e-scooter laws, including vehicles being permitted to ride in cycle lanes instead of on footpaths. She also suggests companies should be required to provide evidence their vehicles are fit to be ridden.
“I’m a medium-sized person, but if that was a small child or frail individual, it could’ve been worse. My accident was avoidable and now my passion is that no one else goes through this. It’s hard because I lost the person I was and I’ll never be that again.”