Because motorcycles offer virtually no protection to the operator and passengers, when they are involved in accidents, the resulting injuries are often very serious. Besides this lack of protection, riders are not wearing seat belts as they might with other motor vehicles, and therefore can be that much more easily ejected from the vehicle. If you are in a motorcycle accident, it is important to work with a knowledgeable Vancouver motorcycle accident attorney who will fight for you.
Common Injuries
If you are in a motorcycle accident, chances are you will be injured. In fact, more than 80% of riders and their passengers who are in accidents are either injured or die. The numbers are staggering. During the 1990s, the number of deaths in motorcycle crashes rose almost 100%, and that number has not dropped.
Because of the nature of motorcycle operation, certain injuries are more common than others. For instance, when a motorcycle is struck, it will fall on its side–often, on top of the rider; this frequently causes crushed legs, broken bones, and lacerations.
The following are the most serious types of motorcycle accident injuries:
- Back Injuries: Back injuries range in severity. What might appear to be a minor accident can result in a serious back injury. Among the most serious are compression fractures, which involve the breaking of a segment of the spinal column, which in turn causes that section of the spine to compress. Herniated discs are also frequent; injury to the disc itself causes the gelatinous material within to seep out and press upon nerves. This causes severe pain, and in some cases paralysis from the level of the injury downward.
- Neck Injuries: When a rider falls or is thrown, he may suffer such an injury as a cervical fracture or herniated disc. The result can range from significant pain and restricted movement to paralysis.
- Head Injuries: Among the most serious injuries in accidents are those to the head and brain. Helmets significantly reduce the risk of such injuries. Skull fractures are common. Less common, but very disfiguring, are facial fractures. A rider might also suffer traumatic brain injury, leaving him paralyzed, comatose, and/or with reduced intellectual ability.
Call a Vancouver Motorcycle Accident Lawyer If You Have Been Injured
If you have been in an accident due to another person’s negligence, it will be to your advantage to work with a Vancouver motorcycle accident attorney. Call the Etengoff Pak Law Group today at (360) 693-2919.