It is essential to point out that a motorcyclist is exposed to multiple injuries when involved in an accident. These kinds of injuries can be of numerous sorts and are not necessarily limited to basic wounds and contusions but may as well be life-threatening.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common types of injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents:
This injury arises when the rider slides across the pavement surface, causing extensive rub damage to the skin. Road rash can vary, from less severe abrasions to the worst-case scenario where the skin is removed from the muscle and surgically grafted back on.
The impact of a motorcycle crash usually leads to fractures. People often have leg, arm, rib, and clavicle fractures among the traditional bone breaks. The degree of severity of injury observed for fractures can vary from simple fractures, which may require only casting and may heal, to covered or severe fractures requiring surgery.
Head injuries are severe injuries and include head and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Helmets decrease the likelihood of head obstructions but do not eradicate the possibility of acquiring head injuries. Concussions can cause permanent damage to changes in intellectual abilities, memory, balance, and emotions.
Injuries to the spinal cord may cause partial or complete dysfunction. For this reason, such injuries have long-term effects, and patients will need to undergo treatment and rehabilitation for some time.
Hemorrhage is the sudden loss of blood from a damaged blood vessel. It is important to note that these injuries may not be apparent but, if not attended to, can lead to death.
Motorcycle accidents are unfortunately common, and the legs and feet often bear the brunt of the impact. Injuries range from minor abrasions to complex fractures, dislocations, and even the loss of limbs.
Self-funded health insurance is a hot topic because riders need to know what area of their insurance covers injuries inflicted by a motorcycle accident. Usually, health insurance policies take care of such injuries, though issues or conditions are involved. For instance, if a motorcyclist is to blame for the accident, their health insurance should cover any medical bills. However, once again, they still have to contend with high deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses depending on their operating plan.
However, if another party is at fault, the blame is on the other party’s insurance service to pay medical bills. Motorcycle riders can also have different insurance products, like medical payments coverage, under their motorcycle insurance policy, which will cover the expense no matter who was at fault for the accident.
Statistically, being a rider is much more dangerous than being a passenger in a car because, in case of a crash, the motorcyclist is more likely to get injured. Statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that riders of motorcycles have 28 times the risk of death in a motor vehicle traffic crash than occupants of passenger cars and four times the risk of sustaining injury.
This high incidence rate is due to several reasons, namely, the vulnerability of motorcycles as vehicles, the lack of protective structures in the motorcycles that would protect a motorist in case of an accident, and lastly, the fact that any minor accident that involves a motorbike is likely to end with a motorcyclist losing their life.
Just think that a single motorcycle accident can leave a person with such injuries that they will have to deal with them for the rest of their life. Head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and amputation lead to long-lasting disabilities that limit the capabilities of a person to get employment or even perform simple tasks in life. Stressful and demanding as it is, even mild or moderate injuries may take many months to recover and come with huge costs.
The second part of the question cannot be ignored as an emotional and psychological burden. Some of the psychological impacts of accidents include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. The assistance from experienced mental health care providers proves quite valuable in such circumstances.
Different motorcycle accidents may result in numerous and severe physical injuries that may have an impact on the lives of the victims for quite some time. A few things need to be done to minimize the economic damage incurred due to such an accident: Adequate insurance is vital to reduce the financial burden. It is recommended that riders understand the risks and, therefore, avoid all the dangers by observing the laws and regulations that govern the usage of the road by the riders, such as the use of helmets and other safety gear and strict adherence to traffic laws.
At KAASS Law, we focus on Motorcycle Accidents involving Brain Injury, Motorcycle-Semi Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accident: Wrongful Death, Left Turn Motorcycle Accident, Motorcycle Accident: Spinal Cord Injury, Motorcycle Accident: Products Liability, Uninsured Motorist Prop 213, and Road Defect Accidents and we are here to listen to you and help you navigate the legal system