It’s fairly understandable that getting into a crash on a motorcycle will result in more and severe injuries when compared to being involved in a car accident. A motorcycle crash is a complex event involving the interaction of human, vehicle and environmental factors. While car accidents have more of a typical cause of accident, what is typical of motorcycle crashes is a violent injury. In fact, more than 80 percent of all reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death to the motorcyclist.
When compared to a vehicle, a motorcycle itself provides no head injury protection to the rider or passenger. A vehicle is closed inside of a cage with airbags and seatbelts. An automobile has more weight and bulk than a motorcycle. It also has four wheels and due to its size, it is easier to see. What a motorcycle sacrifices in weight, bulk and other protections of crashes is slightly offset by its agility, maneuverability, ability to stop hastily and capability to swerve when necessary. Therefore, ejections from a motorcycle is a common reason for the severity of injuries. If a motorcycle hits a car, has to come to a sudden stop or other causes of accidents, the rider and passenger with be forcibly thrown off of the seat and strike objects in the path as well as the ground [1].
What Are The Common Accident Injuries?
The CDC studied about 1,222,000 people who were treated in the U.S. emergency rooms for non-fatal, motorcycle-related injuries between 2001 and 2008, then recorded their injuries by location on the body. Some other common injuries have cause long-term medical hospitalizations as well. These injuries include:
- Head Injuries: head injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in motorcycle accidents, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, wearing a helmet can reduce motorcycle accident deaths by 29 to 35 percent and the incidence of head injuries even more; however, many states do not require the use of helmets–such as Florida. However, it’s most important to note that motorcycle victims have a chance of sustaining a TBI whether or not they are wearing a helmet at the time of an accident. TBIs can range from a mild concussion, which can have side effects that last months after the injury is sustained, to TBIs that are more severe, which may cause serious cognitive and physical issues. The more severe injuries may prevent a person from functioning independently [3].
- Fractured Bones: Breaking bones can cause significant pain and require major corrective surgery for a victim to function normally. Due to the fact that a motorcycle cannot stand upright on its own, most motorcycle accident cause the actual bike to fall over. The CDC found, 30% of all non-fatal motorcycle injuries happen to the legs and feet. Therefore, it’s understandable that legs are reported as the most common injury for hospitalized motorcycle accident victims. Additionally, 22% of all common motorcycle crash injuries occurred to the head and neck. Following this section of the body, the “upper trunk” or chest shoulder and back wounds come next in line. Followed by arms and hands (from catching falls); and then finally the “lower trunk” or the hips and pelvis [2].
- Spinal Cord Injuries: The Mayo Clinic reports that auto and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries as it accounts for more than 35% of new spinal cord injuries each year. Spinal cord injuries can also range from mild to severe as it compromises damage to the vertebrae, ligaments or disks of the spinal column. A mild or nontraumatic spinal cord injury may be caused by arthritis, cancer, inflammation, infections or disk degeneration of the spine. A traumatic and more severe spinal cord injury can occur from a sudden blow to the spine, in which fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more of the vertebrae. Additional damage usually happens over days and weeks because of bleeding, swelling, inflammation and fluid buildup in and around your spinal cord [4]. Evidently, this results in serious complications such as loss of sensation, muscle weakness, loss of range of motion and eve paralysis below the site of the injury.
- Road Rash & Disfiguring Injuries: Some of the accidents result in injuries that cause a significant physical disfigurement which impacts a person’s quality of life. More or less, the injuries that cause such deformities include accidental amputations, burns, fractures and lacerations, just to name a few. Since motorcycles do not safely enclose riders, they end up making contact with the surface of the road during a motorcycle accident. Just as motorcyclists fail to wear helmets, they also inadequately dress for the road. If riders do not wear the proper clothing when riding a motorcycle, the skin is vulnerable to an injury known as road rash. Just as all of the other disfiguring injuries may happen, road rash is described as a skin abrasion that can range from mild to severe. The mild being that the road only cuts into the surface of the skin which appears red, the second degree being when the surface of the skin is broken but the inner layers still remain intact. The severe and third degree of road rash occurs when the road completely removes the skin, leaving the underlying lawyers of tissue and fat exposed [5].
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
With all of this in mind, it’s also worth mentioning about how much the injured party may spend on a motorcycle accident. According to autoblog.com, on average, a fatal motorcycle crash costs around $1.2 million, while non-fatal incidents carry a price tag of anywhere from $2,500 to $1.4 million depending on the injuries aforementioned. Therefore, it is vital to have experienced representative when filing a claim or if ever involved in an accident.
Any injury caused by the negligence of others could result in financial compensation for the potential loss of millions. It is significant for people who are hurt in motorcycle accidents to speak with seasoned attorneys, such as the lawyers at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA. Our advocates are aggressive personal injury lawyers who are committed to holding the negligent parties liable. Call today to schedule a free consultation and evaluation with one of our lawyers today at (727) 451-6900.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-451-6900
References:
[1] The Anatomy of a Motorcycle Crash
[2] What Body Parts Will You Most Likely Injure In A Motorcycle Crash?
[3] What Are the Dangers of Tantalum?
[4] Spinal cord injury
[5] Pedestrian Safety
