Minneapolis Motorcycle Accidents Cause Unique Injuries
Motorcycle accidents have a well-known penchant for causing exceptionally devastating injuries. Thanks to the exposed nature of these vehicles, motorcyclists are put right in the face of danger when they collide with other vehicles and other objects as the result of an accident. There are no airbags or layers of plastic and metal that cars have that can reduce the power of impact. All motorcyclists may have is a layer of protective clothing that can only do so much. It is because of this that motorcycle accidents can cause injuries that you may not typically see in other kinds of motor vehicle accidents.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Road Burn/Rash
When motorcyclists get involved in accidents there is a chance that they will come into direct contact with the road at high speed. When this happens, a motorcyclist can suffer what is called road burn or road rash. This type of injury occurs when the exposed skin of a motorcyclist is sheared away because of the friction caused by the high-speed contact with the rough asphalt of the road. Road rash is typically not life-threatening but it is extremely painful and can cause severe disfigurement. This injury can typically be treated at home in its milder variations when it consists of a particularly nasty scrape. In more severe circumstances, road rash may need to be treated with a skin graft.
Traumatic Brain Injury
One of the worst injuries that you can suffer because of a motorcycle accident is a traumatic brain injury. This type of injury occurs when a person suffers a strong physical force that acts on their head and causes damage to the brain. This strong physical force can take the form of a physical blow to the head or a violent jerking movement that whips the head back and forth.
Traumatic brain injuries are well known for the debilitating damage they cause that can create issues with a victim’s cognitive functions. Symptoms of many traumatic brain injuries can range from dizzy sensations and headaches to outright comas and personality changes. The damage to the brain caused by many traumatic brain injuries can also end up being permanent in many cases. Milder traumatic brain injuries like concussions can usually heal on their own with time but more severe traumatic brain injuries like diffuse axonal injuries and penetrating brain injuries can require extensive treatment and leave people permanently disabled.
Spinal Injuries
When a biker is hit by a large vehicle, the force of that impact can damage their back. Back injuries can range from mild soft tissue injuries to damage to the spinal cord itself. Any damage to the spine risks damage to the spinal cord which can lead to permanent disability. The spinal cord is the spongy nerve clusters contained within the bony shell of the vertebrae that make up your back. The spinal cords function is to send sensory information to and from the brain and communicate between various organs and the brain. Damage to the spinal cord, either from fractured vertebrae or the pressure caused by a slipped disc, can interrupt this part of your nervous system and lead to things like weakened limbs, incontinence, tingling sensations or numbness in the extremities, and even paralysis. The spinal cord is a very complex organ that medicine cannot repair directly so damage to it can potentially be permanent much like with the brain.
Biker’s Arm
An injury unique to motorcycle accidents is known as biker’s arm which is inflicted when a motorcyclist tries to protect themselves from physical trauma with their arms as a reflex to an accident. Bikers involved in accidents are often thrown from their motorcycles or can take part of the blow directly to their bodies which is mostly absorbed in the arms as they are brought up as a reflexive form of protection. Biker’s arm also commonly occurs when the motorcycle itself falls onto a biker’s arm because of an accident. Motorcycles typically weigh several hundred pounds so this amount of force falling onto a limb can cause severe crushing damage.
Broken/Fractured Bones
With any severe motor vehicle accident, there is a good chance that those involved will suffer broken or fractured bones. The intense physical forces at play in a motorcycle accident can easily cause bones in the body to suffer intense damage. Broken or fractured bones might not seem to be as serious of an injury to most people and in many cases broken or fractured bones can heal fairly easily on their own once the bones are set and put in a cast. However, many broken bones can be very dangerous. For example, broken ribs can puncture lungs or other organs. A broken pelvis can lead to organ damage or even slice through an artery and cause internal bleeding.
SAND LAW LLC: YOUR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
If you have sustained an injury in a motorcycle accident and you believe that you are owed compensation, CONTACT SAND LAW about a free consultation on your claim.
We are ready to sit down with you and hear the details of your case so we may provide some options for how you can proceed with legal action. Our lawyers are well versed in all aspects of personal injury claims and will fight for your claim so you may receive the maximum settlement. You don’t have to take on a motorcycle accident injury claim on your own. With Sand Law in your corner, you can be confident that your case will be given the best possible chance of success.
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