What Are the Most Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
Motorcyclists are more prone to serious and fatal injuries in motor vehicle accidents compared to the average motorist. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2021, motorcyclists were about 24 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to die in an accident, per vehicle miles traveled. Motorcyclists can suffer a range of serious injuries in motorcycle accidents that may impact them for life.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A common cause of death in fatal motorcycle accidents is brain damage. A traumatic brain injury such as a severe concussion, contusion or penetrating brain injury in a motorcycle accident could prove fatal for a victim. While wearing a motorcycle helmet can significantly reduce a motorcyclist’s risk of suffering a severe or deadly brain injury in an accident, serious brain injuries still occur.
Motorcyclists can sustain brain injuries when their heads strike asphalt, the hood of a motor vehicle or a fixed object at high velocity in an accident. Traumatic brain injuries can result in symptoms such as chronic headaches, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, confusion, dizziness, memory loss, cognitive difficulties, and motor function disabilities. These symptoms may be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the brain injury.
Lower Extremity Injuries
A motorcyclist’s lower extremities, meaning the pelvis, legs and feet, are at high risk of being injured in a motorcycle crash. Without an outer metal shell protecting a rider’s legs in a collision, they may get crushed between the motorcycle and a motor vehicle or the motorcycle and the ground. This can result in broken or shattered bones in the lower extremities, as well as painful soft-tissue injuries and even leg amputations.
Spinal Cord Injuries
A motorcyclist could suffer a spinal cord injury if his or her back or neck sustains damage in an accident. Blunt-force trauma, a blow or bump to the spine, crush injuries, hyperextension, or sharp objects or shrapnel penetrating the spine could all lead to severe spinal cord injuries. Examples include spinal fractures, spinal concussions, disk injuries or herniation, or a severed spine. Severe spinal cord injuries can result in permanent paralysis, such as paraplegia (loss of function and feeling from the waist down) or quadriplegia (loss of function and feeling from the neck down).
Internal Injuries
If a motorcyclist is flung from his or her bike and gets pulled beneath the tires of a motor vehicle in an accident, he or she could suffer severe internal injuries and organ damage from being crushed beneath the car. This can include damage to the kidneys, liver or spleen, as well as internal bleeding, a punctured lung or cardiovascular damage. Internal injuries may be diagnosed late, contributing to the amount of harm suffered by a victim.
Road Rash
A motorcycle accident can cause much more than just minor cuts, scrapes and bruises. If the motorcyclist’s body drags or scrapes along a road surface, this can cause severe road rash. Road rash is a pattern of extreme and sometimes permanent damage to the skin and underlying tissues. It can result in painful abrasions, nerve damage, infections and disfiguring scars. It can also cause traumatic tattooing – when debris gets embedded in the skin and changes its texture or color.
Injured in a Motorcycle Accident? We Can Help
Protective gear such as a helmet, gloves, thick jacket, pants and boots can help you avoid serious injuries, disabilities and death as a motorcyclist in New Jersey. If you get injured in an accident as a motorcyclist, contact the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Hasson, P.C. for a free case evaluation to find out if you are able to recover financial compensation.