Motorcycle Accident Injury Patterns

Riding motorcycles is inherently risky, even for the most conscientious and careful of motorcyclists. For instance, motorcyclists are six times more likely to be involved in a crash than other motorists. Furthermore, these collisions almost always result in some sort of injury for the rider, especially to the musculoskeletal system. The types and severity of injuries, however, is largely dictated by the type of motorcycle crash in which a person is involved.

Lowside Motorcycle Crashes

Lowside crashes occur when, in an attempt to avoid a collision, the low side of a motorcycle skids along the ground, often trapping the rider’s lower extremity and forcing the upper extremities to brace for impact. Limb entrapment is a very real risk for riders in these crash scenarios, with the lower limb being caught between a fixed object and the motorcycle. The most common of these injuries include fractures to the tibia, ankle, and foot.

Highside Motorcycle Crashes

Highside motorcycle accidents occur when a rider falls to the opposite side that a motorcycle is leaning, resulting in the motorcycle actually flipping over and the rider being thrown from the vehicle. Injuries to the head are common in these scenarios, as are wrist and arm injuries, the latter of which occur when a person attempts to brace his or her fall after being ejected. Shoulder girdle injuries are common, as are clavicle and scapula fractures, brachial plexus injuries, and fractures to the forearm, hands, and wrists.

Topside Motorcycle Crashes

Topside motorcycle accidents occur when a motorcycle suddenly decelerates and the rider is thrown over the handlebars. The injury patterns for highside and topside motorcycle accidents are similar, as both involve the rider being thrown onto the ground. The distinction lies in whether a person is thrown off the side of the motorcycle or forwards.

Motorcycle Collisions

Motorcycle collisions occur when a rider strikes or is struck by a stationary object, like another vehicle, light post, or guardrail. The injuries sustained in these kinds of motorcycle crashes are often the most severe. Head injuries are especially common, occurring in between ten to 50 percent of all motorcycle collisions. The most common include:

• Facial soft tissue injuries;
• Facial fractures;
• Depressed skull fractures;
• Linear vault fractures; and
• Cerebral cortical contusions.

It is also not uncommon for motorcyclists who suffer head injuries to sustain some sort of spinal damage, especially to the cervical spine, where the head and neck meet. Fuel tank injuries to the pelvic area are also common after motorcycle collisions and occur when after a motorcycle comes to an abrupt stop, a rider’s momentum causes his or her pelvis to collide with the fuel tank. Some studies indicate that as many as 85 percent of pelvic injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents occur in this way. Pelvic fractures and bladder injuries are the most common fuel tank injuries suffered by motorcycle accident victims.

Call Goldman Law, P.A. for Help with Your Legal Claim

The injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents are usually severe, leaving victims to foot the bill for expensive treatments, often while being unable to work. If you sustained an injury and weren’t at fault for the crash, you shouldn’t have to bear these costs on your own. For help seeking compensation for your own accident, call Goldman Law, P.A. at 407-960-1900 and speak with dedicated Maitland motorcycle accident lawyer Sarah Goldman Geise today.

Sources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7528667/

crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/810982