Motorcycle Accidents

Many Personal injuries are to the legs and feet, which account for 30% of the injuries. The second most common injury is to the head and neck, this accounted for 22% of the injuries. Many accidents result in severe injuries, listed below are the most common injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents:

Traumatic brain injuries

A traumatic brain injury is a disruption in the normal function of the brain, this can be caused by hitting your head hard or something penetrating your head. According to the NHTSA, 15 percent of riders that were helmeted and 21 percent of unhelmeted riders sustained traumatic brain injuries.

Leg and feet Injuries

Leg and foot injuries are by far the most common injury motorcyclists suffer from. Broken bones to the feet and legs are more common than soft tissue damage.

Spinal cord injuries

The impact from a collision can result in damage to the spine, this damage can be quite severe, usually resulting in paralysis. This injury usually causes permanent disability for the rider.

Fractures

Fracturing bones are common in motorcycle accidents, the rider has little to no protection while in a crash. If a car t-bones them they are getting the bumper of the car to their leg, or if they crash the bike could land on top of them. They could also fracture their wrists and hands while catching themselves to break their fall.

Internal injuries

Blunt-force trauma or something penetrating the rider can cause damage to internal organs and internal bleeding. Hitting the street hard enough would cause blunt-force trauma, and debris on the street or other sharp objects might penetrate the rider.

Road rash

Road rash is when the bare skin of the rider makes contact with the road, while at high speeds this can cause serious abrasions. The severity of road rash ranges from mild to serious, these types of injuries are highly susceptible to infection and scarring.

Driving Errors

Driving errors are the most common reason for motorcycle accidents. A driving error is when cars pull out in front of a motorcyclist, hit a biker while changing lanes, or the biker runs a red light or stop sign. Drivers are not aware the biker is there for multiple reasons; bikes are much smaller than cars and can easily hide in their blind spot, and either the motorcyclist or driver is distracted, and not paying attention. Blind spots are a huge factor in motorcycle accidents, not only are the bikes smaller than cars but our brains are programmed to be looking for cars, not motorcycles. This is especially true when motorcycles are lane splitting, we aren’t looking in between the lanes for any vehicles, so we might not see them as they pass by.

Dangerous Road Conditions

Motorcycles are more prone to crashing in dangerous road conditions, this could be poorly maintained roads with potholes, liquids on the surface that could cause the bike to lose traction, or poorly designed streets that have blind curves that could cause a bike to be hit or crash.

Defective Equipment

A defect in the bike such as faulty suspension or brakes could slip past a manufacturer and could cause an accident. Faulty safety equipment could cause serious injury to the rider if they do get in an accident. For example, if they had bought a faulty helmet and it was not glued together properly, the helmet could break resulting in a traumatic brain injury.

 

If you are riding your motorcycle make sure you are attentive and aware of your surroundings. You motorcyclists are more in danger than the cars around you and many times other drivers aren’t looking out for you. Be a defensive driver and be careful.

In the event that you have just been involved in a motorcycle accident, here are some helpful steps you should follow as soon as you get out of the accident:

Remove Yourself from Danger

A scene of an accident can be dangerous, other drivers might not be aware that there is an accident there and could hit you. Since cars might not see you or the accident, they might not slow down or avoid the accident. Find a safe place away from other cars. When you are out of danger, call an ambulance if you are injured and call the police.

Receive Medical Care

Motorcycle accidents tend to be quite severe. You might not feel injured at the moment because your adrenaline is rushing through you, but the adrenaline might be masking any underlying injuries. If you are severely injured, call an ambulance and promptly receive medical care. If not severely injured it’s still recommended to get a medical evaluation. You could have a concussion or whiplash, both of these might not be apparent directly after an accident. Head and neck injuries are quite common in motorcycle accidents. Head injuries can be life-altering, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Call the Police and Report the Accident

If you have not been taken away from the scene by an ambulance, call the police and report the accident. The police will help you document the accident, you can also request them to take photos of the scene of the accident if you are unable to take photos yourself. They will also be able to collect any information about who was involved in the accident and if there were any witnesses to the accident. Having this documentation can be crucial for your ability to receive compensation, this will also help determine liability.

Find a Motorcycle Accident Attorney

An attorney will help determine who is at fault and liable for the accident. Determining who is liable can be difficult because there may be multiple parties at fault. You will want to find an attorney that is in your area and familiar with the area where the accident occurred. The attorney will build a case based on your claims and losses due to the accident. They will also help you receive the proper medical care for your injuries.

Compared to car accidents, motorcycle accidents are generally more serious, medical bills will be higher, and losses can be four to twelve times higher. You should consult an attorney to assess your losses and help you build a case so you can receive fair compensation for your losses. 

Here are the most common types of compensation for damages in a motorcycle accident:

Medical Bills

Medical bills from motorcycle accidents are likely to be more expensive than vehicle collisions, this is because they often cause more severe injuries. The average medical bill for something as common as a fractured bone is about 16,000 dollars. The medical bills can range anywhere from 16,000 dollars to upwards of 50,000 dollars. 

The reason medical bills are so expensive is because of hospital stays, doctors’ visits, surgery, physical therapy, and chiropractor visits. You are entitled to past, present, and future compensation for any medical costs that were caused by your motorcycle accident.

Wage Loss

Your injuries might prevent you from performing your job, this would cause you to lose wages that you would have got if you hadn’t gotten injured. You are entitled to those lost wages and are entitled to receive compensation for them. 

Trips to the doctor may have caused you to miss out on work, these are also wages that you are entitled to receive compensation for. You also might have been permanently injured from the accident and you are no longer to perform the duties your job requires. An attorney will help you calculate all loss wages past, present, and future, so you can receive proper compensation for the accident.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering are broken down into two categories, physical pain, and suffering and mental pain and suffering. Physical pain and suffering are the literal pain from the injuries a person sustained during an accident. This includes any discomfort from the injuries. Pain and suffering do not only just apply to the present pain that a person is enduring but any pain that they endured from the date of the accident to future pain they will endure. 

Mental pain and suffering are any psychological problems a person may have as a result of their injuries or from the accident itself. This includes mental anguish, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, and emotional distress. You are allowed to receive compensation for any pain and suffering that was caused by the accident. Any attorney will help you calculate the compensation that you are warranted.