The California DMV reports that there are about 500 fatal motorcycle accidents every year. Another 14,000 people suffer serious injury in motorcycle accidents. In fact, about 14% of all traffic fatalities are on motorcycles, despite only 3% of the vehicles on the road being motorcycles. At Law Offices of Michael A. Kahn we assist those injured and their families in getting the compensation they deserve for the damages they have suffered. However, they are also surprised to learn about the five most common causes of these accidents.
- Injuries to the Head and Neck
- Road Rash
- Back/Spinal Cord Injuries
- Injuries to the Arms and Legs
- Broken Bones
Nearly one in four motorcycle injuries is an injury to the head and/or neck. These are never good but if the injured party was wearing a helmet approved by the DOT then their chances of only minor injury are much better. The right helmet can mean the difference between a mild concussion and a traumatic brain injury that renders a person incapacitated for life.
Yes, road rash is a common injury on motorcycles. In fact, it is one of the most common non-fatal injuries. It can be relatively minor or serious enough to require numerous skin grafts to repair the damage. How serious road rash is will depend primarily on the type of safety gear the rider was wearing at the time of the crash, as well as how fast they were riding.
A motorcycle can experience serious injury to their back and spinal cord if involved in an accident. As is true of the above, some of these accidents are less serious while others can lead to total paralysis. Once again, the extent of the injury is generally tied to the speed at which the vehicles were traveling during the accident and the level of safety gear the rider was wearing.
Arm and leg injuries are very common in motorcycle accidents. They most often happen when a rider is thrown off of their bike and tries to catch themselves when they hit the ground. About one in three motorcycle injuries in the United States involve some type of leg injury, whether a sprain, torn muscle, or broken bone.
When you think about how little protection a person has on a motorcycle, even if they are wearing the latest safety gear, it is easy to imagine that they can easily break bones if involved in an accident. This happens either when the rider hits the ground or is hit by a vehicle.
If you have suffered any of the above motorcycle injuries, we recommend you contact Law Offices of Michael A. Kahn at (310) 209-1600 to speak with a personal injury attorney who can help you understand your options.
