A motorcycle ride is often considered a fun-filled activity, but it can turn into a serious situation when things go awry. Everyone believes that injuries from motorcycle accidents typically range from minor scratches to life-threatening conditions. Because of common motorcycle injuries, people often suffer from minor bruises and a few scrapes. Further, they walk away relatively unscathed. Some end up having serious medical problems for their entire life, while others lose their lives completely.
Motorcycle Accidents
Common motorcycle injuries are more visible than those in car accidents. Commoners always believe that people are more likely to die from traffic collisions than if they are the occupants of a passenger vehicle. For motorcyclists, the risk of injury increases multiple times.
What Are the Most Common Motorcycle Injuries?
Since motorcycles aren’t enclosed vehicles, it is no surprise that motorcycle accidents are far more injurious than other kinds of automobile crashes. Making the matter worse, motorcycles are lighter and smaller than other vehicles, making it difficult for other drivers to spot them on the road and more challenging to operate safely. Hence, you will gain an understanding of some common motorcycle injuries. They are as follows.
Road Rash
Road Rash is regarded as the most common type of motorcycle injury. It occurs when someone’s skin is scraped off due to subtle contact with hard surfaces, such as boulders or stones. Most of these injuries can be treated at once. Some people suffer fatal injuries and require skin grafting, which involves removing the upper layer of the skin.
Lower Extremity Injuries
While riding a bike, it is always good to ensure that both your feet and legs stay close to the ground in front of the bike. Therefore, the first body parts that get injured in an accident are typically the legs and hands. According to the general notion, injury in the lower part of the body is merely a common phenomenon. Fractures are a well-known lower extremity injury, with breaks most frequently occurring in the lower part of the leg.
Broken Bones
A broken foot is sometimes regarded as the most common motorcycle injury. It all depends on how exactly you landed during the time of the accident, and in turn, the force of your body being hit on the pavement can cause enough force just to break any of your bones.
Neck Injuries
Motorcyclists often suffer from soft tissue damage in their necks if they are suddenly thrown off their bikes. Similar to car passengers and drivers, even motorcyclists can usually get whiplashed, too. Motorcyclists also break the bones in their cervical spine.
Sprains
Sometimes, an accident involving a motorcycle can cause your body to twist and turn in various directions. Due to it, your ligament may tear and stretch, resulting in a sprain. Sprains can cause damage to any joint in your body. Most of these sprains can heal within two weeks. These severe sprains might require more time for surgery.
How to Prevent These Common Motorcycle Injuries?
Nowadays, common motorcycle injuries can often lead to a wide range of injuries that can have a lifelong impact on the lives of those who are involved in them. Therefore, as a responsible motorcyclist, you should take necessary steps to minimize your risk of injury on the road. Here are some of the precautions that you can adopt just to prevent common motorcycle accident injuries.
Wear a Helmet and Protective Gear
A responsible bike rider should wear a helmet to save their own life and that of their loved ones. Helmets generally prevent head injuries, which in turn helps prevent fatalities. Apart from helmets, you can also wear sturdy clothing, such as leather jackets, gloves, and leather pants, to protect your body. You can even wear a strong pair of boots just to protect your feet and ankles. Many motorcyclists do invest in body armor that offers more protection than regular clothes.
Learn Motorcycle Safety
Motorcycle accidents can also occur due to the inexperience of motorcyclists. If you’re a new rider, consider taking a motorcycle safety course. Through the safety course, they become aware of the importance of road safety. The safety class teaches you how to become aware of your bike before you start riding it.
Check Your Bike Before Your Ride
Before riding your bike, thoroughly inspect your motorcycle and look out for any signs of specific problems, such as liquid droplets on the ground, debris stuck in the wheels or chain, and indications of low tire air pressure. Also, check for any mechanical issues that persist within your bike.
A Brief Idea On Motorcycle Accident Claims
In brief, a motorcycle accident claim is a legal request that you, as a rider, make for compensation just after a motorcycle accident. Furthermore, this includes compensation for physical and mental pain, emotional trauma, lost wages, property damage, medical expenses, and loss of consortium, among others. Therefore, providing the entire liability on the opposing party and proving your innocence is a complicated process. At this juncture, you require the full support of our Florida motorcycle accident attorney. The professional will provide you with proper legal assistance and guide you through complicated documentation and representation processes. These factors often make it critical for motorcycle accident victims to understand the claim process and protect their legal rights.
How A Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help With Accident Claims
Our Florida motorcycle accident attorneys are knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced professionals. When you consult our experts, you won’t pay for your initial consultation. We will clearly explain all the legal options.
Investigate the Accident
Our experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will help you secure your compensation claim. To do so, they thoroughly gather the required evidence. We collect not only police reports but also witness statements and a wide range of comprehensive legal documents as evidence. Proper legal assistance will be provided to you to identify the primary reason behind the motorcycle accident and present it in your favour.
Document Your Damages
The lawyer will collect critical evidence to show your economic and non-economic losses. This evidence will be summarized in a demand letter and provided to the insurance company. The lawyer will give valid testimony from both medical and vocational experts regarding your future medical expenses and lost earnings.
Some of the damages you may have incurred in your motorcycle accident case are as follows.
- Physical pain and suffering, and mental anguish related to your injuries and treatments.
- Current and future medical bills: You can incur expenses for emergency room (ER) care, ambulatory care, hospital stays, surgeries, procedures, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and prescription drugs. You will also receive compensation for years of future medical bills if you face a catastrophic injury.
- Lost earnings in the past, present, and future.
- Lost earning capacity compensation may be appropriate for a catastrophic injury like spinal cord injury.
- Property damage, such as damage to your motorcycle at the time of the accident.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Insurance companies often attempt to deprive you of the rightful claim amount for your motorcycle accidents. Therefore, the victim faces a worse financial crisis. Proper negotiation by our attorney on your behalf, so that your chances of receiving the claim increase by one chance.
Courtroom Representation
When our attorneys don’t agree on the compensation amount, the legal professional proceeds to represent you in court and help you navigate all the legal complexities, filing a claim on your behalf. Moreover, consistent follow-up and legal support will increase the foundation of your compensation claim.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, common motorcycle injuries are increasing on a daily basis in a city like Florida. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), the “Crash Dashboard” reported 9,420 motorcycle crashes in 2024, resulting in 578 fatalities and 8,106 injuries. Therefore, though it’s unfortunate to get involved in an accident, you can prove yourself innocent and claim the rightful amount. For that, you need the aid of an expert accident attorney from Abercrombie PA. They not only gather evidence for you but also guide you through this complicated legal process from start to end. If you are deprived of your rightful compensation claim, call us today.
