Riding a motorcycle on a warm and sunny day can be a lot of fun. However, if you don’t take the proper safety precautions, you could suffer serious injuries in the event of an accident. When you’re on a motorcycle, you’re not protected by nearly as much metal, so you’re much more likely to sustain life-threatening injuries. Here are some of the most common motorcycle accident injuries.
Head Injuries
Head injuries are one of the most severe injuries you can sustain during a motorcycle accident. Whether you hit your head on the pavement, or a flying object hits your head, it could do a lot of damage. Common symptoms of a head injury include headaches, vomiting, fatigue, loss of consciousness, and problems speaking. If the brain injury is severe enough, it could result in permanent brain damage or even death. Wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle can reduce your risk of head injuries in the event of an accident.
Biker’s Arm
As mentioned before, you don’t have a metal box to protect you when you’re on a motorcycle. During an accident, you’re at risk of getting thrown off your motorcycle. Out of instinct, you might stretch your arms forward to reduce the impact. Unfortunately, this can result in nerve damage in your arm. If you wear elbow pads, you can reduce your risk of bikers’ arm.
Road Rash
If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, you could easily fly over your handlebars and slide across the pavement. When your skin hits hard concrete at such a high speed, you’re in danger of suffering skin irritation, infection, and nerve damage. To reduce the chances of road rash, be sure that your arms and legs are completely covered in leather or denim while riding a motorcycle.
Leg Injuries
Leg injuries are another common injury that motorcyclists suffer during accidents. These include fractured bones in the legs, knees, and feet. While these injuries are rarely life-threatening, they could result in permanent disability. Protective clothing and knee pads could protect you against these injuries.
Pelvis Trauma
During a motorcycle accident, motorcyclists are also in danger of suffering pelvis trauma. If they hit the pavement, they could sustain injuries like rib fractures or dislocated hips. These injuries are severely painful and come with long recovery times.
If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver, you may be entitled to compensation. It’s important to discuss your case with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer, like a motorcycle accident lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, as soon as possible.
Thanks to Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into some of the most common motorcycle accident injuries and how to attempt to prevent them.