Eight of the most common motorcycle accident injuries are broken bones, road rash, head and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, leg and foot injuries, arm and hand injuries, abdominal and chest trauma, and burns.
If you were seriously injured in a crash, a Virginia motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm can help you seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses. You can get a FREE claim review with our personal injury law firm today and learn more about your legal options.
What Injuries Are Most Common in Motorcycle Crashes?
Motorcyclists have very little protection in an accident. Even if they are wearing a helmet and other gear, they can still suffer severe injuries when thrown from their bike or crushed between other vehicles or objects.
While every motorcycle crash and every victim is different, several types of injuries are common, including:
Broken Bones
Depending on how the motorcyclist lands after being thrown from their bike, they could break almost any bone in their body, including ribs, arms, hands, legs, feet, facial bones, or even their spine.
While some broken bones may heal after a few months in a cast, others will require surgery to repair, such as inserting screws, plates, or pins to put the bones back together. Recovery from severely broken bones also often requires physical therapy.
Road Rash
Road rash occurs when a motorcyclist’s body scrapes against the hard pavement and tears off their skin. Its severity can range from bruising, redness, and minor bleeding to deep cuts and exposed tissue that require prompt medical treatment and may lead to permanent scarring.
Head and Neck Injuries
Head and neck injuries are especially common for motorcyclists who do not wear a helmet. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can range from relatively minor concussions to permanent brain damage. Additional head and neck injuries that motorcycle injury victims may experience include:
- Skull fractures
- Contusions
- Intracranial bleeding
- Whiplash
- Vertebral dislocations or fractures
- Herniated discs
Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury (SCI) can affect a motorcyclist for the rest of their life. SCIs can result in partial or full paralysis and have a host of effects, such as breathing problems, lack of bladder or bowel control, weakness, numbness, or chronic pain.
Leg and Foot Injuries
A motorcycle rider’s legs and feet can easily be crushed in a crash. Common leg and foot injuries include broken bones, road rash, bruises, lacerations, burns, ankle dislocations, knee injuries, and damage to ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
Arm and Hand Injuries
Similar to their legs and feet, a motorcyclist’s arms and hands often get crushed or mangled in a crash, especially if the biker reflexively holds their arms out to try to break their fall.
One common result is “biker’s arm,” which involves damage to the nerves in the upper arm. Treatment for a biker’s arm often includes surgery, physical therapy, and pain medications. In some cases, the nerve damage may be permanent.
Other potential arm and hand injuries include broken bones, dislocations, lacerations, and soft tissue injuries.
Abdominal and Chest Trauma
Damage to internal organs in the abdomen and chest, such as the spleen, liver, lungs, and heart, often occurs in a motorcycle crash.
Burns
Burns are common in motorcycle accidents, especially if a vehicle’s gas tank leaks or bursts and causes a fire or the motorcyclist’s skin touches the bike’s exhaust pipe.
Treatment for severe burns often includes skin grafts, pain medication, and physical therapy.
The Importance of Seeking Immediate Medical Treatment After a Motorcycle Accident
Some of the symptoms of common motorcycle accident injuries, such as biker’s arm, internal organ damage, and TBIs, may not appear for days or even weeks after a crash. This is why you should seek immediate medical care after a motorcycle crash.
Call 9-1-1 and allow EMTs to examine you, visit the emergency room or an urgent care center, or schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor as soon as possible to receive a diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to protecting your health, seeking immediate medical treatment can protect your motorcycle accident injury claim by providing solid evidence of a connection between the accident and your injuries.
Compensation You May Qualify for After a Motorcycle Crash
If the motorcycle accident was not your fault, you may deserve compensation for the harm you have suffered. A motorcycle accident attorney can help you seek various damages, such as:
Economic Damages
After suffering severe injuries in a motorcycle crash, your economic losses may be extensive. Compensation may be available for all your current and future medical bills associated with the crash, as well as all the income you have lost and will lose because of your injuries and recovery.
Non-Economic Damages
In addition to physical injuries, motorcycle accident victims often suffer from extensive mental and emotional trauma. You may experience nightmares, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you suffered disabling, scarring, or disfiguring injuries, they can affect your quality of life and ability to enjoy activities you once loved.
A Virginia personal injury lawyer can help you seek financial compensation for these and any other non-financial losses you have experienced.
Wrongful Death Damages
Many of the common motorcycle accident injuries can be life-threatening, such as TBIs, SCIs, internal bleeding, and severe road rash or burns. If you lost a loved one due to catastrophic motorcycle accident injuries, a Virginia wrongful death lawyer can help you seek compensation for their funeral and burial costs, as well as the lost income and emotional and mental harm your family has suffered.
Let a Motorcycle Crash Lawyer from the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC, Start Working On Your Claim Today
No matter what injuries you suffered in a motorcycle accident, the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC, can help you seek the money you deserve to pay your medical bills, cover your lost wages, and compensate you for the “pain and suffering” and inconvenience you have endured. We will investigate the accident, negotiate with the negligent party’s insurance company on your behalf, and fight for a fair settlement.
Per Va. Code § 8.01-243, you face a strict deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Virginia, so please don’t wait. Contact us today for a FREE claim review.
Call or Text (571) 229-1800 or Complete a Free Case Evaluation form