Common Motorcycle Injuries to Avoid

The Department of Motor Vehicles estimates that there are currently over eight-million registered motorcyclists in the United States. This staggering biker population, which has increased by more than 27 percent in the last decade, sadly reflects why also within the last 10 years motorcycle injuries and deaths have also increased. However, instead of the 27 percent expected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that by the end of 2015, motorcycle injuries will have increased by over 55 percent. Currently, the CDC estimates that 5,000 people are killed and over 200,000 more are severely injured each year—and those numbers are still rising.

Although some injuries are minor—if you’re extraordinarily lucky—many of them are catastrophic, life-altering, and potentially fatal.

So what kinds of injuries do you have to worry about before you take your bike out for a spin? You should definitely prepare yourself for at least these five common ailments.

Catastrophically Typical Motorcycle Injuries

Thousands of bikers suffer from one, if not several, of the following injuries everyday due to a motorcycle collision. Will you be next?

• Road rash. Road rash occurs when your skin is scraped, rubbed, or flayed off as a result of being dragged on the ground or pavement. Most motorcycle accidents occur when you’re sitting on a moving bike, and 90 percent of the time the impact force of the accident will throw you off or cause the bike to fall on top of you. Unfortunately, the momentum that you had built up from the moving bike can cause you to continue to move, tumble, or roll until the momentum subsides. This means that instead of just falling on the ground, you’ll actually skid—causing large scrapes and traction “burns” on your skin. If not treated immediately, these painful road rashes can become infected and extremely dangerous.
• Broken bones. Since motorcycles have very little protection, the force of a collision can be bone-breaking. Whether you’re thrown from the bike and crash into a tree or fall to the ground, or whether you’re caught between your bike and another car, the force of the collision can easily snap one or more bones. Common areas of are often broken include collarbones, legs, pelvis, and the back.
• Head and brain injuries. When riding at speeds close to 50 mph or higher, a sudden collision could propel you off your bike with staggering velocity and force. Not only could the initial impact cause internal neck issues, but when your body lands, your head could forcefully slam into the ground. This impact could cause skull fractures, internal bleeding, bruising and swelling of the brain, severe brain damage, and even death.
• Spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries are a huge concern for motorcyclists since you can’t control where or how you land when thrown from a bike. The alarming truth is that you have more than a 50 percent chance of landing on or striking your head, neck, spine, or coccyx (tailbone). Depending on the force that you strike these fragile body parts could determine whether or not you’ll ever walk again. Unfortunately, the majority of motorcycle accidents produce a great deal of impact force, making paralysis a huge concern for motorcycle accident victims.
• Amputations. The fourth most common motorcycle accident injury is an amputation. If you’re thrown from, or dragged under your bike, certain limbs could become crushed, twisted, or severed—making it medically necessary to completely remove the limb altogether to prevent infection. The most common limbs to be affected are the hands, forearms, feet, and lower legs.

Getting the Treatment You Need Without the Consequences You Don’t Deserve

Motorcycle accident injuries can be extremely traumatic and debilitating. Treatments and recovery can be long and arduous, and expensive as well. If you’ve recently been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll help you understand whether you're entitled to damages or compensation, as well as help you through the process of filing your claim. Don’t allow someone else’s mistake to cost you your physical or financial future.

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