There is no doubt that the sense of freedom and excitement motorcycle riders experience make this a popular mode of transport. The fact that their bikes have only two wheels requires riders to have better coordination and more skills than drivers of cars need. The lack of protection such as seat belts, airbags, and an enclosed rider make motorcyclists vulnerable to a variety of bodily injuries from mild to catastrophic.
If you are an avid biker in Kentucky, you will know that protective riding gear that covers as much skin as possible, riding boots, gloves and a helmet are essential. Furthermore, constant awareness of your surroundings and defensive driving will go a long way to keep you safe. Unfortunately, many drivers of larger vehicles have little or no consideration for motorcyclists, and this could lead to accidents that happen in the blink of an eye.
Common motorcycle accident injuries
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, eight in 10 motorcycle accidents cause severe injuries or death. The following injuries are most common:
- Head trauma: If you are older than 21 years, you can choose to ride without a helmet on Kentucky roads, but such a choice might be to your own detriment. Authorities say head injuries cause most of the fatal and debilitating injuries in motorcycle accidents.
- Traumatic brain injury: Helmets can prevent penetration injuries to your head, but they cannot prevent your brain from moving inside your skull from the force of a collision. This can cause swelling or bleeding of your brain that might have life-altering consequences.
- Fractured bones: Whenever your bike falls over, chances are it will land on your leg, making leg fractures the most common motorcycle crash injury treated in hospitals. However, bikers also suffer pelvis, shoulder, arm, wrist and hand fractures — often due to the instinctive reaction to break the fall.
- First-degree road rash: Making contact with the road surface is par for the course in motorcycle accidents. If you are well protected — or very lucky — you will suffer only scrapes and redness of your skin without damage to the deeper layers of the skin.
- Second-degree road rash: This happens when there is damage to the outer layers of your skin, and the inner layers unharmed.
- Third-degree road rash: This is a severe injury that requires immediate medical attention. This category of road rash occurs when the damage exposes the inner tissue and fat layers after removing the outer skin layers.
Recovering damages
A motorcycle accident can send you for an extended stay in a hospital and require a lengthy recovery period. It could even leave you paralyzed or with a severe brain injury. How will you cope without an income?
This is where the skills of an attorney with experience in fighting for the rights of injured motorcyclists come in. If another party caused your injuries, a lawyer can establish negligence and advocate for you in a Kentucky civil court for recovery of documented financial and emotional damages.