Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Every year, more than six million vehicle accidents take place on American roads, resulting in serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury and broken bones. However, some drivers are more at risk during collisions than others. In fact, motorcyclists are four times more likely to suffer severe motorcycle accident injuries during an accident. This is due to their vulnerable position on the road.
Fortunately, help is at hand for motorcyclists who have been injured in motorcycle crashes as a result of driver negligence. In fact, you could get serious compensation for your motorcycle injuries, no matter how minor they are.
Have you been injured in a Santa Ana motorcycle accident? Then read on to find out common motorcycle accident injuries that you can claim.
Road Rash
Road rash is another name for skin damage caused during a car accident. This often occurs when a motorcycle driver skids off their bike across the rough surface of the road.
Protective equipment can help prevent road rash. This is why a lot of motorcyclists wear thick boots, pants, gloves, and jackets. However, if you come off your bike at high speed a rough surface can rip through this clothing.
Severe road rash may require skin grafts to treat the affected area. There is also a risk of infection, even with a minor road rash. So it is important to get support from a medical professional if you experience road rash after an accident.
Head Injuries
Head injuries from motorcycle crashes can be extremely serious, especially if they are not diagnosed quickly. These can happen even if you are wearing a helmet.
Common head injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Skull fractures
- Concussions
- Abrasions
As well as being painful head injuries can result in a whole range of other symptoms. You may experience:
- Amnesia
- Paralysis or partial paralysis
- Difficulty speaking or understanding what people are saying
- Confusion
- Blurred vision
- Mood swings
- Insomnia
- Difficulty focusing
Severe head injuries take a long time to recover from and may have a long-term impact on your life.
Because of this, it is important to claim for more than just head injury treatment costs. You can also claim for loss of work or earnings and loss of enjoyment of life.
Neck and Spinal Injuries
During a road accident, your neck and spine are very exposed, especially on a bike when you don’t have a seatbelt to hold you in place. Injuries to your neck and spine can have life-changing consequences.
For example, some injuries to the spinal cord can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia, leaving a victim temporarily or permanently disabled.
Motorcycle injuries tend to impact the thoracic spine more than the lumbar spine. More minor spinal injuries from motorcycle accidents include herniated discs. These are treatable but can be incredibly debilitatingly painful.
Common neck injuries from motorcycle accidents include whiplash, fractured vertebrae in the neck, and soft tissue damage. Recovering from these types of injuries usually requires rest and physiotherapy. Some severe fractures might require surgical intervention.
Leg Injuries
When you come off your bike your legs are usually the first thing to hit the ground. Because of this, they often absorb the force of impact from the road.
Leg fractures are very common motorcycle injuries. If you get trapped under your bike these can be very severe.
Broken legs might not be life-threatening but they can take a long time to recover from. Most people have to spend at least six weeks in plaster and have physiotherapy before they can walk properly again. Serious fractures may have a long-term impact on your mobility.
Even if you do not fracture your leg, you can still do serious damage during a motorcycle accident. Other common injuries include muscle and ligament damage and road rash.
Arm Injuries
As you fall from your bike it is a natural instinct to put your arms out to catch yourself. However, if you are traveling at speed then this can do serious damage.
Because of this, arm fractures and muscle damage are very common during motorcycle accidents.
Chest and Abdominal Injuries
Your chest might not seem as vulnerable during a motorcycle accident compared to your neck, arms, and legs. However, the blunt trauma of coming off your bike or being hit by another vehicle can do a lot of damage.
Broken ribs are very common motorcycle injuries. These usually heal with time but they can lead to serious complications.
For example, a fractured rib could damage your lungs and aorta. This could result in a punctured lung or torn aorta. Broken ribs also put your liver, spleen, and kidneys at risk of further damage.
As a result, chest and abdominal injuries can put you at serious risk of respiratory failure.
Getting Compensation for Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries
If you have sustained an injury in a Santa Ana motorcycle accident that has affected your life then you could be entitled to compensation. To claim this you will need to prove that your injuries were directly related to your accident.
You will also need to identify who is liable for the accident and prove their negligence. This means that they violated their duty of care to other drivers on the road. For example, drivers can be negligent if they:
- Exceed the speed limit
- Ignore road signs or warnings
- Are driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol
- Fail to maintain their car properly
You will also need to provide proof of your injuries and how they have impacted your life. For example, you can provide:
- Medical reports of your injuries and treatment plans
- Photographs of your injuries
- Days that you have had to miss at work
- The cost of medical equipment that you need after your accident
- Reports from therapists to show the emotional impact your injuries have had
- Testimony from your friends and family about the emotional impact your injuries have had
Collecting all of this evidence can take a lot of time and effort. This is why it can help to hire an experienced motorcycle accident attorney.
They will help you build a strong case. They also have the resources and teams of support staff to collect evidence on your behalf. So you can focus on the most important thing: getting better.
Get Support With Your Motorcycle Accident Injury Claims
As you can see, there is a huge range of motorcycle accident injuries that you can claim compensation for.
If you would like to do this then it is a good idea to get help from an experienced motorcycle accident attorney. They will help you build a strong case and get you the compensation that you deserve.
To find out more, get in touch with Riverview Accident Lawyers now. We’re here to help.