Motorcycle riders are the most vulnerable group of roadway motorist in our nation. Because of the small size and maneuverability of their bikes, motorcyclists are often missed by other vehicles on the road, or fall into their blind spots. More so lack of protection from external forces leads to a much higher probability of severe injuries during road accidents in comparison to other non motorcycle accidents on our roads.
The Severity of Injuries Resulting from Motorcycle Accidents are based on several factors including
- Whether the rider is wearing a helmet and adequate facial protection
- Whether the rider is wearing gear protecting his arms, legs, and torso
- The general health and age of the victim
- The speed at which the collision took place
- Whether other vehicles were involved and the types of vehicles involved
- Genera weather conditions during the accident
- The timely response of trained paramedics at the scene of the accident
Motorcycle head injuries:
Every year thousands or bike riders suffer from Traumatic Brain injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents. Such injuries can be life threatening and can also lead to permanent brain damage requiring long term medical care, cognitive impairment and permanent disability. Medical Costs of Motorcycle head injuries: According to estimates an average hospital charge of motorcyclists who did not suffer head injuries was $2,300; while the average hospital bill of a motorcycle head and or facial injuries was $74,000 Use of protective helmets: The vast majority of studies conducted on the efficacy of motorcycle helmet use found that “helmets significantly reduce the probability of head injuries in motorcycle crashes.” What type of helmet provided the most protection from injuries in a motorcycle accident: There have been multiple studies conducted on the benefits of different types of helmets in protecting riders from serious injuries. Below is some of what multiple studies have found:- Full faced helmets: Studies have shown a significant reduction in serious head injuries; full-face helmets compared with no helmet significantly protective against head injury.
- Partial Coverage helmets: Studies showed however provided much less protection against severe head and facial injuries than full faced helmets.
- Skull Fractures
- Intracranial brain hemorrhage
- Post traumatic amnesia
- Concussions and Whiplash
- Post traumatic headache syndromes
Facial Trauma:
Helmet use has significantly reduced the probability of facial injuries in motorcycle accidents. However facial trauma continues to be a common motorcycle injury. Common facial injuries due to motorbike accidents include, lacerations, fractures, bruises, broken noses, facial amputations, traumatic eye injuries, frontal bone fractures, and facial burns. Temporal Bone Fracture: Temporal bone fracture are a frequent injury diagnoses or victims of Motorcycle Accidents. According to statistics Vehicle accidents account for close to 45% of all such injuries. Symptoms of facial fractures can be difficult to detects and may require consultation and testing from trained specialist including otolaryngologists and or facial plastic surgeons. Common issue involved with temporal trauma include- Hearing Loss
- Facial Nerve Injuries
- Vertigo – Including Dizziness and nausea
- Vascular Injuries
- Temporal Bone Tearing – Skull Fracture
Spinal Cord Injury:
Spinal cord injuries take place in more that 5-12% of all motorcycle related accidents. Spinal cord injuries in bike accidents result from a hyperflexion of the spine during the unrestrained motorcyclist impact with an object. There are multiple form of spine injury including- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Hemiplegia
- Spastic quadriplegia
- Partial Paralysis
- Spinal Contusions
Burn Injuries:
Burn injuries from motorcycle accident can lead serious prolonged pain and suffering and permanent disfigurement. Such injuries result in high medical costs which can lead to debt and bankruptcy. Another major cause of burn injury from motorcycles are legs contacting hot exhaust pipes. For more information on the degrees and severity of burn injuries click here…Lower Extremity Injury from Motorcycle Accidents:
Lower extremity injuries refers to injuries to the, pelvic region, thigh, hip, foot, ankle, knees, torn ligaments, amputations of the toes, and leg burns.- Foot bone fractures: Bone fractures to the foot can be extremely painful and lead to severe long terms disability. Common bones which can be fractured include the metatarsal, tarsal, and talus. Apart from bone fractures toes on the foot can be severed and amputated.
- Upper leg – thigh injuries: Such injuries included fractured tibia and fibula and femur fractures. In many case legs can be crushed amputation of the legs. Around 10% of all motorcycle leg injuries lead to some sort of amputation.
- Knee Injuries: A knee injury can include joint dislocation, knee sprains, meniscus tears and lacerations of the tendon.
- Pelvic Injuries: Pelvic fractures are the most common form of pelvic injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes comprising of nearly 70% of all such injuries.
Neck Injuries – Whiplash:
Neck injuries are one of the most motorcycle accident injuries . Neck injuries can affect both the soft tissues as well as the skeletal portions of the neck. Neck injuries often lead to long lasting and even permanent pain and suffering for the victim leading to years of needed therapy and medical aid.- Whiplash: whiplash is one of the most common neck and upper back injuries due to a traffic related bike accidents. Though not as serious as neck injuries a whiplash can often be misdiagnosed. One should be aware that the neck is a highly sensitive and easily damaged body part. One needs to contact a skilled physician who can diagnose the victim correctly.