One of the really important things you have to understand about motorcycles is that they are not as stable as regular passenger vehicle cars. They are also much less visible. When crashes happen, the motorcyclist does not have the protection that the enclosed vehicle offers.
The NHTSA highlights that the motorcycle rider is 25 times more likely to end up dead when involved in an accident when compared to passenger vehicle occupants. The motorcyclist is also five times more likely to end up being injured. As a result, you need help from an injury attorney whenever involved in a motorcycle accident. However, you might need the help of construction accident lawyers when the accident happens during a construction work project.
To further understand the seriousness of motorcycle accident injuries and fully understand how catastrophic they can be, it is enough to say that there is a very high possibility any body part will end up injured. The most common injuries that motorcycle riders suffer are listed below.
TBI – Traumatic Brain Injuries
When involved in a traffic crash as a motorcyclist, there is a 21% possibility you will suffer from TBI if you do not wear your helmet and a 15% possibility when you do wear it. Unfortunately, 54% of people with traumatic brain injury in motorcycle accidents do not survive. This would launch a wrongful death lawsuit or at least a much more serious claim.
Lower-Extremity Injuries
The NHTSA showed that the most frequent injury suffered by motorcycle riders during crashes is that of lower extremities. The very common ones are leg injuries, with bone fractures actually being much more common than the lesser severe soft-tissue injuries. Basically, this means there is a higher possibility you will break your legs in a motorcycle crash than anything else.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Having your spinal cord injured after a collision can actually lead to paralysis (this includes quadriplegia or paraplegia). Such a catastrophic injury can so easily lead to permanent disabilities if you are a victim.
Internal injuries
Internal organs can easily get damaged and lead to internal bleeding since you would be affected by blunt-force trauma, which is a blow that would not break your skin. It is also possible to have this problem with penetration trauma, like when debris enters the skin as the motorcycle accident happens.
Fractures
When in an upright position, the motorcycle is not stable. It will fall over as the collision happens. Any crash is very fast, and the leg of the rider is often right under the bike. Arms and wrists could also end up fractured as riders try to protect themselves while falling. Any fracture requires immediate medical treatment, and you need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.
Road Rash
As the motorcycle rider comes into contact with the surface of the road, skin abrasions appear. When they are serious, they are known as road rash. Such an injury can be very severe or pretty mild. Regardless of how injured you are, you will need fast medical attention. This is because it is very easy to end up with permanent scarring and very serious infections.