Understanding The Most Common Injuries Sustained in Motorcycle Crashes
The most common motorcycle injuries occur to the head and neck, but the risk often doesn’t deter many riders from hitting the road.
Few people who ride a motorcycle lack a passion for it. For many riders, it’s their reason the get up in the morning and get out of the house. With nearly 420,000 registered motorcycles in Texas, it’s clear that many people love getting from here to there on a motorcycle. But for all the passion there is for riding motorcycles, it doesn’t come without its risks.
Having an accident on a motorcycle can be more dangerous than any other vehicle. The reason for this is the rider’s exposure to the environment around them. If a driver were to T-bone a motorcycle rider, there’s little to nothing to protect the rider’s leg and torso from an immediate and severe crushing injury. Likewise, a rider who impacts a stationary object is at risk of being flung from their vehicle, suffering any of many different kinds of injuries.
Head & Neck Injuries
Due to their exposure to the environment, however, motorcycle riders are at most risk of head and neck injuries. Among these, the most fatal or debilitating include fractures to the skull or neck vertebrae and traumatic brain injury.
You might not realize it on an everyday basis, but your head is heavy, and a lot of its mass comes from your brain. If you are suddenly flung from your motorcycle or struck, the momentum your head gains from the impact can overstrain your neck, causing injury to muscles, vertebrae, and ligaments in your neck.
Although everyone should always wear a helmet, doing so doesn’t necessarily reduce the risk of a traumatic brain injury. The skull itself may be protected upon impact, but the brain can slam against the skull, possibly causing bruising or bleeding. Traumatic brain injuries such as these may explain why the Texas Department of Transportation recorded that nearly as many riders were killed in accidents in 2020 while wearing a helmet as those who didn’t.
Road Rash Is Also Common
In addition to head and neck injuries, riders are at risk of road rash, which is more severe than it sounds. Road rash is the tearing and peeling of skin that occurs on exposed or thinly covered parts of the body. More than an actual rash, road rash can be so severe that it exposes deep layers of skin and muscle, causing all kinds of problems from infection to permanent nerve damage.
The best way to protect against road rash is to wear thick clothing and protective garments, typically those developed specifically to protect against road rash. When riders take such precautions, they lower their risk of severe medical complications caused by suffering from severe road rash.
Were You Injured in a Motorcycle Accident?
Motorcycle riders can be incredibly vulnerable during an accident. Even those who wear their helmets and protective gear can suffer severe injuries that require costly medical care and therapy to address. If you were severely injured in a motorcycle accident someone else caused, you can seek damages to compensate you for what you lost.
Wood Law Firm, LLP can help. Contact us online or call (806) 304-0447 now to get in touch with our legal team and learn more.