Not many leisure activities are as refreshing as grabbing your motorcycle and hitting the road on a warm Saturday afternoon. However, what begins as a routine motorcycle ride around the neighbourhood can end up with a trip to the ER if you are involved in an accident.
Per the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSA), motorcycle-related accidents claim over 5,500 lives annually. This makes motorcycles one of the leading causes of traffic fatalities. This also means that injuries that result from motorcycle accidents are generally more severe than those caused by car wrecks.
Here are two common injuries you need to look out for following a motorcycle accident.
Injuries to the head
Wearing a helmet can protect your head from injuries during a motorcycle accident. However, these gadgets only offer protection to a certain extent. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wearing a helmet only reduces your risk of injury by 69 percent and the risk of death by 37 percent. Even with your helmet on, you can still sustain the following head injuries during a motorcycle accident:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Skull fractures
- Bleeding into the brain
And since the rest of the body is exposed to impact, you can also sustain spinal cord injury following the accident.
Injuries to the body’s lower extremities
Injuries to the pelvis, hip, legs, knees, ankle and foot are never uncommon during a motorcycle accident. These can include broken bones, tissue injuries and fractures. Whereas these injuries might not be fatal, they can be life-altering as they can lead to a disability.
Fighting for your rights
Most motorcycle accidents are preventable. However, if you are caught up in a motorcycle accident that is not your fault, you deserve justice. Find out how you can pursue damages if you are involved in a motorcycle accident that is attributable to someone else’s negligent actions.
