Motorcycles offer a thrilling ride and a more affordable mode of transport for many Californians. However, motorcycles offer a lack of protection, leaving riders exposed to potential injuries.
Additionally, their smaller size also makes them less visible to other drivers on the road. When you get into an accident on a motorcycle, you are more likely to suffer serious injuries.
Every time you get on your motorcycle, you are in greater danger than those in passenger vehicles of winding up with lasting injuries from a crash. Here is a look at the kinds of most common injuries sustained by motorcyclists.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be more minor like a concussion or it can be fatal. Motorcyclists should never refuse medical treatment after an accident as many of the signs of TBI may not appear until hours or even days later. By then, it could be too late.
Helmets certainly help motorcyclists reduce the chances for traumatic brain injuries. However, improperly designed helmets do not live up to the federal safety standards for properly absorbing force. This means you could still sustain a serious traumatic brain injury even when wearing a helmet.
Back and Neck Injuries
Back and neck injuries are also a common result from a motorcycle crash. You may shatter vertebrae or herniated discs. If you are lucky, you may only have strains or sprains. Regardless, back and neck injuries can impact the quality of your life and may require ongoing care.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Your spinal cord serves as the communication network between your brain and body. Protected by your vertebrae, this cord of nerves can become damaged in a serious motorcycle accident. This may lead to partial or full paralysis, depending on where the injury is located in your spine.
Damage that is near your neck is more prone to causing full paralysis of the limbs, or quadriplegia. If the damage is lower down on your spine, you may have paraplegia where you are only paralyzed in the legs.
Regardless, spinal cord injuries will tend to require emergency surgeries in an attempt to protect the spine. Generally, when you become paralyzed, you will need physical therapy and require modifications throughout your home to adapt to this change in your life.
It is not uncommon for motorcyclists that become paralyzed to undergo serious depression and suffer a loss of enjoyment of life. Additionally, you may be unable to work your job after such injuries, adding to your financial hardships.
You may think that getting road rash would be better than becoming paralyzed. While this may be true, you can still suffer severe trauma to your soft tissues and muscles from the friction of skidding across a road. In some cases, you may wind up with thermal burns because of the degree of friction. It is not simply a scratch. If left untreated, road rash can become life-threatening if it becomes infected.
Fractures and Broken Bones
The force of impact when you are flung from a motorcycle is certainly enough to cause broken bones or fractures. The most common parts of the body that suffer these injuries are the arms, legs, and pelvis.
In serious instances, the injuries sustained to limbs in a motorcycle crash cannot be saved through surgery. Infections may spread and amputation may be the only way to save a life. If your limbs must be amputated, your entire life will change as you will need physical therapy plus either a wheelchair or prosthetics, depending on which limbs you lost in the accident.
On top of that, the trauma of losing hands, arms, legs, or feet can result in the need for extensive mental health therapy.
In this article, we’ve summed up all you should know about motorcycle accidents and the risks of motorcycle riding.
While any motorcycle rider is prone to abdominal injuries, the older you are, the more that risk rises. You may incur lacerations to the lungs or heart, and time is of the essence to receive medical attention for these such injuries.
Hand and Arm Injuries
For many motorcyclists, an instinctive response is to put the arms out when thrown to the ground. Known as “biker’s arm,” it involves landing on your arms in an accident. Even if your arms do not break, you may wind up with nerve damage.
In some cases, this nerve damage can be extensive enough to lead to arm paralysis. It is recommended that motorcycle riders wear specialized riding gloves and elbow pads to lessen the potential for this type of injury.
In addition to road rash from skidding along the asphalt, motorcycle riders may wind up with severe burns if gas has spilled from the motorcycle’s tank in a crash. Serious cases will require skin grafts to help repair the damage.
Steps You Need to Take After Being Hurt in a California Motorcycle Crash
In the aftermath of any type of accident, things may feel chaotic, however you must remember to call the police immediately. Officers will arrive to take photos, measurements, and driver statements for filling out a police report. They will also summon emergency medical services to the scene.
You will need to exchange information with the other driver and gather as much evidence if you can. If your injuries are so severe that this is not possible, it is critical that you contact an attorney as soon as you are able to do so following the crash.
Insurance companies tend to look down upon motorcyclists as daredevils who take risks and get what they deserve. It is an unfair perspective, and if another driver caused the accident, they should be held accountable for causing you to have a mountain of medical bills, losing out on wages, and causing pain and suffering for the rest of your life.
A Stockton motorcycle accident lawyer can help you file your claim and work to ensure you are fairly compensated for your damages. They will work on your behalf to capture evidence before it is permanently lost, wasting no time in seeking the compensation you deserve.