Motorcycle accidents can cause significant injuries. Without the added protection of a fully enclosed vehicle with airbags, motorcyclists are fully exposed to the impact of the collision. Here are the most common injuries from motorcycle accidents.
Broken Bones
The impact from a collision with another vehicle or from landing on the ground easily breaks and fractures bones. Depending on the exact nature of the accident, you can break the bones in your arms, legs, hands, neck, and back. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, broken legs are the most common injury from motorcycle accidents.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries or TBI can be very serious and cause life altering injuries to your brain. TBIs are caused by a sudden external force to your head, such as your head hitting the pavement or road. A common and mild form of a TBI is called a concussion. However, a serious TBI may require emergency surgery and life-long counseling, rehabilitation, and new employment to accommodate a disability.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a type of neck injury caused by a forced back and forth movement of your neck. It causes pain in your shoulders and neck. While whiplash may resolves on its own with over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen over a few weeks, it is still a serious injury. Whiplash sometimes requires continuous medical treatments such as chiropractic visits or pharmaceutical injections.
Lacerations
Lacerations are cuts, which range in severity from deep wounds that require stitches or other medical interventions to road burns. Many lacerations cause scarring. If not properly treated, lacerations can also get infected, which requires antibiotics to treat.
Internal Bleeding
The impact of a motorcycle accident causes a lot of force to be applied to the motorcyclist’s body. This can cause internal bleeding or organ damage. These injuries may not be immediately visible after the crash. For this reason, it is important that anyone involved in a motorcycle accident seek immediate medical attention to rule out serious injuries that could otherwise go undetected.
Amputations and Decapitations
Without the protective shield of a car’s frame, a motorcyclist’s limbs and head are completely exposed to injury during an accident. As a result, amputation of fingers, arms, or legs is more common in motorcycle accidents than in other types of accidents. This can happen during the motorcycle accident, or later in the hospital if it becomes necessary to save the patient from infection or serious injury.
Additionally, decapitation occurs when the skull is severed from the neck. This can be a complete decapitation or an internal decapitation, where the skin on the outside remains intact while the bones in the neck are shattered. Decapitation can occur whether or not the motorcyclist wears a helmet. According to the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, motorcyclists who wear a helmet can be decapitated if their neck is hyperextended during the crash.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are very common in motorcycle accidents. A serious spinal cord injury can cause paralysis or permanent complications. A significant percentage of spinal injuries require surgery and ongoing medical treatment. Recovering from a spinal cord injury takes time. Unlike other types of treatable injuries, it could take months to years to recover. If you work in a field where manual labor or lifting is required, a spinal cord injury can impact your ability to go to work and pay your bills.
Disfigurement
A motorcycle accident can cause disfigurement, such as scars, burns, and facial disfigurement, as a result of their injuries. In many cases, the disfigurement is permanent and impacts the way that a person looks for the rest of their lives. This can have potential ramifications on a person’s job and romantic prospects, too.
Fatalities
Unfortunately, motorcyclists are much more likely to die in an automotive accident than people in passenger cars. According to the Insurance Information Institute, motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to die in a crash than those in a passenger car, when compared to per vehicle miles traveled. While helmet use does reduce fatality risk, it does not eliminate it.
Contact a Texas Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, you could be entitled to compensation. A motorcycle accident lawyer can help you understand your rights and to assess who can be held liable for your injuries and losses. Contact Paxton Law Firm today by calling (281) 978-2244 or filling out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation with our team. We are here to help you through this difficult time.