Jason Stephens | July 8, 2022 | Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycles are a fun and popular alternative to traditional passenger vehicles and bicycles. Millions of motorcycle riders traverse the country every year. Unfortunately, all of this riding comes at the cost of injuries from motorcycle crashes. The following are the most common injuries from motorcycle crashes.
Head and Brain Injuries
The evidence clearly shows that when motorcycle riders wear helmets, fatalities and serious injuries from motorcycle crashes decrease significantly. For example, after Louisiana instituted a universal helmet rule in 2004, fatalities decreased by 30%.
Unfortunately, only about 40% of riders involved in accidents wear helmets during the accident. As a result, head and brain injuries are some of the most common injuries during a motorcycle accident.
Road Rash
Road rash occurs when a person slides along the road at an extremely high speed. The average speed that motorcycle riders travel at when they get into an accident is almost 30 mph, according to RoadRacerz.
Most riders are thrown from their bikes during an accident, which often results in them sliding along the road at the same speed they were traveling before the accident.
Two things happen when a person slides along the road at that speed. The road tears at their skin, ripping and shredding it. Also, sliding along the road creates friction, which causes tissue to burn. While road rash isn’t usually fatal, it can disfigure the rider for life. Protective clothing is the best protection against this.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Almost every motorcycle rider will be thrown from their bike when they get into an accident. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will slide along the road. Many riders slam directly into a stationary object.
When the head or neck of a driver slams into a stationary object at high speed, there is a very high probability of a spinal cord injury. The impact can compress or crack the spine. Even when this type of injury isn’t fatal, it can result in partial or complete paralysis.
Broken Bones
Impact injuries are highly likely in a motorcycle accident because most riders are thrown from their motorcycles. And when they aren’t, they are usually pinned under the motorcycle or against the motorcycle and another object. Any of these situations are likely to result in a broken bone.
Broken legs are particularly likely when a rider is pinned to the ground by a motorcycle. Motorcycles usually weigh a few hundred pounds, which is more than enough to break or even crush a leg bone.
Death
Unfortunately, death in a motorcycle accident is more likely than in other types of accidents. Motorcycles don’t have seatbelts, airbags, or other similar safety features that decrease fatalities in other vehicles.
That doesn’t mean that riding a motorcycle is inherently unsafe. It just means that motorcycle riders should be especially wary while riding their bikes.
How To Avoid Injuries
According to the source linked above, almost all motorcycle accidents involve a self-taught rider. What this means is that one of the best ways to protect yourself from a motorcycle accident is to learn to drive from a professional as part of a motorcycle safety course.
These courses will teach you how to drive safely and avoid the common causes of motorcycle accidents. They will also teach you to recognize unsafe behavior in other drivers that could result in you getting injured. Avoiding an accident is better than feeling justified that you were riding safely after being severely injured in an accident.
If you do end up being involved in a motorcycle accident at the fault of someone else, a reputable personal injury attorney can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Most personal injury lawyers offer a free consultation to go over your situation.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm in Fort Worth, TX
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth and need legal help, contact our Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyers at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to schedule a free consultation.
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 300
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 420-7000