Motorcyclists recognize the fact that if they get into a traffic accident with another vehicle, they are likely to be hurt if not killed. Motorcycle riders are over 30 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash and five times more likely to be injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Ride Smart Florida cites statistics indicating that the two most common types of nonfatal motorcycle accident injuries that required hospitalization are fractures and injuries to internal organs. Injuries to the lower extremities are responsible for the highest percentage of hospitalizations, followed by traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and torso injuries.
The Florida motorcycle accident attorneys at Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers, P.A., can help you obtain the benefits you deserve if you have been injured in a motorcycle accident due to another driver’s carelessness. We work with clients from Tampa, Holiday and throughout Florida on a contingency-fee basis. That means that you don’t owe us anything unless you recover money from a claim.
For a free consultation, contact our Florida motorcycle accident lawyers at 866-694-9471 or online.
Serious Injuries Likely in Motorcycle Accidents
Non-fatal injuries in motorcycle accidents account for nearly seven times more hospitalizations and over 20 times more emergency department visits than fatal injuries based on an analysis of motorcycle crashes from 2007 to 2011, according to Ride Smart Florida.
A motorcyclist who crashes his bike may sustain anything from cuts and abrasions to broken bones to catastrophic injuries. Among the most common serious injuries in motorcycle accidents are:
- Fractures. Motorcyclists can break legs, arms, ribs and other bones in the impact of a collision, from their bike falling on top of them in a crash or from being thrown from their motorcycle. Because riders will instinctively reach out to catch themselves as they fall, they are susceptible to hand and arm fractures as well as nerve damage in injured hands and wrists.
- Head / Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Wearing a helmet is the best way to guard against TBI in a motorcycle accident. Still, any blow to the head can lead to a concussion or more serious TBI, which may cause a variety of cognitive and physical disabilities. Potential head injuries in a motorcycle accident also include broken jaw, loss of teeth, eye injuries and disfiguring facial cuts and fractures.
- Neck / Spinal Cord Injuries. A blow to the neck or back that fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more vertebrae or disks can cause a traumatic spinal cord injury and paralysis. Auto and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for more than 40 percent of new spinal cord injuries each year, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Internal Organ Injuries. Trauma caused by the impact of the crash or from the sharp ends of broken and dislodged ribs can damage motorcyclists’ internal organs, as well as muscle, nerves and other soft tissue in the chest and abdomen. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, usually with surgery, internal organ damage can lead to life-threatening infection.
The NHTSA says lower-extremity injuries – foot, ankle, leg, knee, thigh, hip and pelvic injuries – are the most common motorcycle accident injuries, but says head, chest and abdominal injuries tend to be more severe. Lower-extremity injuries are typically broken bones, with long-bone fractures of the tibia, fibula and femur the most common lower-extremity injuries overall. Hip dislocation is the most common type of hip injury.
A Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study says that wearing a helmet is the best way for motorcyclists to protect themselves from head injuries and cervical spine (neck) injuries, which can result in paralysis.
Contact Our Florida Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Today
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident that was not your fault, you may be eligible to obtain compensation to assist with your medical bills and other losses. Contact the Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers, P.A., toll free at 866-694-9471 or through our online form for a free consultation about a motorcycle accident in Miami, Tampa, Holiday or anywhere in Florida.
More Information:
- Ride Smart Florida – Data and Statistics
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Traffics Safety Facts: Motorcycles
- Mayo Clinic – Spinal Cord Injuries: Causes
- NHTSA – Lower-Extremity Injuries in Motorcycle Crashes
- Johns Hopkins Medicine – Motorcycle Helmets Reduce Spine Injuries After Collisions; Helmet Weight as Risk to Neck Called a ‘Myth’
