What Is the motorcycle accident personal injury claim?

The motorcycle accident personal injury claim is an injury to the lower extremities. However, injuries to the chest area and the head can also occur. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a motorcycle accident collision can also cause bone fractures in the legs.

In fact, the NHTSA also notes that even though these types of injuries were the most common, head and chest injuries were usually more severe.

Motorcycle crashes cause several specific injuries. For instance, a collision with a passenger vehicle can cause motorcycle accident victims to suffer traumatic brain injury (TBI), whiplash, road rash or broken ribs.

Other common motorcycle accident injuries include whiplash, broken bones, internal bleeding and organ damage.

Finally, in a worst-case scenario, motorcycle accidents cause fatalities.

WHAT CAN CAUSE A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT?

There are several causes of accidents involving motorcycle riders and motor vehicles. For instance, left hand turns by motor vehicles in front of motorcycles cause a large percentage of motorcycle accidents.

As another example, texting or using the car’s navigational system can distract passenger car drivers. This can cause a motorcycle accident injury.

In addition, either (or both) the passenger car driver and motorcyclist are speeding or ignoring traffic signs and signals.

Lastly, the motorcyclist and/or the other vehicle’s driver may be driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Motorcycle accidents present particular risks because of the lack of coverage and protection a motorcycle affords its riders. Obviously, there is no protective “shell” surrounding the motorcyclist, as with a driver or passenger in a car or truck.

Indeed, the NHTSA reports that accident victims on motorcycles are 28 times more likely to die in crashes than passengers in a car.

Several factors can contribute to the severity of common motorcycle accident injuries. For example, the size of the motorcycle and the passenger vehicle are a determining factor.

Of course, the speed at which either was traveling is also a contributing factor.

COMMON INJURIES IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

Lower-extremity injuries are those that occur below the waist. Typically, motorcycle accidents result in injuries to the legs and pelvis.

Traffic safety research has found this type of injury to be the most common for motorcyclists.

Other injuries in motorcycle accidents are to the head, face and neck, thorax and abdomen. In fact, motorcycle riders over the age of 40 usually experience these types of injuries, specifically broken ribs, more than their younger peers.

Indeed, there are several factors that explain why larger motorcycles may lead to more upper-extremity injuries. For instance, older riders ride larger, heavier motorcycles. Consequently, those motorcycles provide more coverage for the cyclist’s lower extremities.

There is another reason thoracic injuries are so common among this age group. In short, larger motorcycles overturn more easily.

Additionally, larger motorcycles take up more space on the road. As a result, they create a greater risk of the motorcyclist striking a highway structure, like a divider or signpost.

Therefore, each of these scenarios can lead to head injuries or chest injuries.

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY IS KEY

Motorcycle accidents can cause severe, life-threatening injuries to motorcyclists. However, one way to prevent being injured in a motorcycle accident is for motorcyclists to always observe the rules of the road. Simply put, motorcyclists must always ride with caution.

Nevertheless, accidents that are beyond the motorcyclist’s control may happen. Notwithstanding that, there are few precautions motorcyclists can take to reduce the danger of motorcycle accidents.

Probably the most important safety caution you can take as a motorcyclist is to always wear a helmet. According to road safety authorities, wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of a head injury to a motorcyclist by 69%. Additionally, helmets reduce fatalities by 37%.

In fact, most states have passed helmet laws for motorcyclists, though they vary depending on the age of the driver. Highway safety advocates for the adoption of universal helmet laws. They want those laws to require all motorcyclists to wear head coverage regardless of their age.

Wearing protective clothes, such as heavy jackets, pants and steel-toed boots, is also a good idea.

NEGLIGENT DRIVERS CAN CAUSE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

If a negligent driver caused a motorcycle accident which injured you, you can hold the negligent driver responsible for your injuries and other damages. You can file a personal injury lawsuit.

And you should hire an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to handle your case.

And do it as soon as possible.

Every state has statutes of limitations for an injury claim or lawsuit. This means injured persons who want to sue a negligent party must sue within a specified time.

Aside from that, your attorney may have to gather evidence that will support your claim. This may mean inspecting the accident scene.

Alternatively, your attorney may need to have an skills to inspect the other vehicles involved in the accident. Likewise, an investigator working with your attorney may have to track down and interview multiple witnesses.

Consequently, if you believe the negligence of another driver caused the accident, contact a motorcycle personal injury attorney as soon as you can.

WHAT ARE MY DAMAGES IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT CASE?

There are multiple damage claims you can make in a motorcycle accident personal injury case:

Medical expenses

You may seek compensation to recover all your medical bills (even those for which insurance paid).

Lost wages

As part of your motorcycle accident claim, you may recover the wages you lost because you had to miss work because of the accident.

Pain and suffering

This type of damage is subjective. Nonetheless, it is widely recognized in personal injury law. As a result, you can tell the jury how badly your neck sprain hurts you.

In addition, you can tell the jury how you got chiropractic treatment for weeks and you still have pain and stiffness in your neck. That is pain and suffering.

Disability

Furthermore, you can tell the jury about the long-term injuries you have and how they affect you. Perhaps you work in a warehouse and are required to lift or move boxes and other bulky items. But your neck injury interferes with that. You can tell that to the jury about.

Future medical treatment

If you suffered a head injury or compound fracture of a limb, you may need medical and physical therapy treatment for the foreseeable future. You (and your doctor) can tell the jury about your expected future treatment.

Loss of consortium

If a motorcycle accident killed or severely injured your spouse, the jury can compensate you for the loss of the affection, advice and companionship spouses show each other.

Personal injury law recognizes this claim. It is called the loss of consortium.

EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

If a motorcycle accident because of another driver’s negligence injures you, a close friend or a loved one, you need an experienced motorcycle accident injury lawyer. First, we will investigate the incident in which you were injured. Next, we will determine who caused the accident.

Lastly, we will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us at our Hammond office at (219) 200-2000 or online at alexmendozalaw.com for a free consultation.