There are common motorcycle accident injuries that may occur when a motorcyclist is involved in an accident. Here are five injuries:
Head Injuries
There are two types of head injuries, closed and open. Either can cause a concussion (a cessation of the brain’s normal function due to injury), bruising, swelling and bleeding of the brain.
- Open head injuries: This type of injury causes the skull to be broken or crushed, potentially injuring the brain directly and opening up the skull. This ends any physical protection of the brain, easily allowing further, direct injury to the brain and increases the risk of infection.
- Closed head injuries: In this type of injury, the skull isn’t broken, but may have fractured. There may be a violent, rapid movement of the head and neck, causing the brain to be jarred inside the skull. This may cause the brain to bruise, swell or tear. Nerves and blood vessels could be damaged, causing internal bleeding.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
About 1.7 million TBI’s occur each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are caused by a blow to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal brain function.
There may be short- or long-term changes affecting thinking, sensation, language or emotions due to a TBI. The injury could cause epilepsy and increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders that become more common with age.
Spinal Injuries
About 11% of motorcycle accidents involve spinal injuries, according to a study published in the medical journal Trauma in 2002. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves running through your neck and spine. Signals go back and forth between your body and your brain through the spinal cord. An injury to it disrupts or ends those signals.
Injuries can be caused by a blow fracturing or dislocating your vertebrae (the bone segments making up your spine). In most injuries the cord isn’t cut through, but injuries result when the cord is damaged when vertebrae tear or press into it. The injury may cause complete paralysis at the point of injury or limit functions and sensations of parts of the body.
Broken Pelvis
The pelvis is a butterfly-shaped group of bones at the base of the spine. It supports and protects the bladder, intestines and rectum. A mild fracture may heal in several weeks without surgery. A serious fracture may be life-threatening and involve damage to the organs the pelvis protects, requiring emergency medical care and lengthy physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Work With the Best Motorcycle Injury Law Firm to Resolve Your Case
No matter the causes of motorcycle accidents, the bottom line is that need to know what to do after a motorcycle accident. You should know your rights, deserve to be compensated for your injuries and need to be able to answer questions like “Does a car accident affect motorcycle insurance?” With more than 50 years of combined experience, Avrek Law can handle your questions about common motorcycle accident injuries and reach a settlement for the maximum compensation. Receive a free consultation today with a firm that has recovered $1 billion in more than 45,000 cases.
