Everyone knows our Phoenix highways and city streets can be dangerous, but if being a driver of a car involved in an accident can cause injury, imagine the injuries that can be sustained by a motorcycle rider.Nationwide, more than 75% of motorcycle accidents result in serious injury; such as limb amputations, paralysis, or traumatic brain injuries. Those who survive these types of accidents and injuries generally experience a lower quality of life due to depression as well as permanent disabilities requiring long term or assisted care. In most cases, injuries such as broken bones are not considered severe, however you need to be sure these too are treated promptly and properly or they can lead to severe problems such as permanent nerve damage or disfigurement.
Listed here are the top three most common injuries incurred in an accident involving motorcycles. By knowing what they are, perhaps you can protect yourself to the best of your ability before hopping on your bike for wind therapy.
Head and Spinal Cord Injury
A head injury can be anything from a minor concussion to severe brain damage. And although a severe concussion should in no way be taken lightly, brain damage is terribly debilitating and often times fatal. When a person suffers brain damage and lives, they often require long term care or assisted living facilities.
Neck injuries are also extremely common and can lead to paralysis. Neck and head injuries can lead to death, and head injuries are the leading cause of death in accidents involving motorcycles. If you weren’t involved in a motorcycle accident but have lost someone you love in one, contact a personal injury lawyer.
Road Rash
Road rash occurs when any part of the motorcycle rider’s skin slides across the asphalt during an accident. Sometimes the asphalt will even rub through a rider’s clothing exposing the skin to injury. This injury is not just a scrape or bruise like you get when you fall on your knee, this type of injury can lead to permanent surface nerve damage and very often becomes infected. Road rash must be closely monitored and will usually require at least some physical therapy to fully recover.
“Biker’s Arm” and Leg Injury
Injuries to the legs most often include a broken or shattered knee or foot. “Biker’s Arm” is what occurs to the arms after an accident, when a rider’s natural instinct to wrap their arms around the front of themselves to lessen the impact causes their arms to absorb too much of the impact. This causes the arms to experience greater nerve damage. When the rider lands on his arms this can cause severe damage to the nerves in the arms and/or upper body.
Leg injuries are caused because the legs are mostly unprotected and therefore can become pinned between the bike and the road or another vehicle. Leg damages can range from road rash to breaks and even the loss of a limb.
Although none of these injuries are generally life threatening, they usually do require extensive medical care and rehabilitation, and, if they have been caused by someone else’s actions, you may be compensated for your injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in Phoenix, contact Simon Law Group. Serving the Greater Phoenix area for more than 20 years, we are here to support you in getting the money you need to take care of yourself (and/or loved ones) after an motorcycle accident. Contact us today for your free consultation, and remember, Experience Matters!
