Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
In recent years, the popularity of motorcycle riding has exploded, with more than one million bikes sold each year from 2003 to 2006. To put this in perspective, consider that in 1992, motorcycle manufacturers sold fewer than 300,000 bikes in the U.S., but this number has risen sharply since then. The economic downturn has caused bike sales to taper off in the last couple of years, but sales remain strong. An unfortunate corollary to the rise in bike sales is a sharp rise in the number of motorcycle accident injuries. In some cases, less experienced riders cause accidents that lead to injuries, but, in the overwhelming majority of cases, drivers of four-wheeled vehicles cause the accidents that injure riders. When these accidents occur in and around Volusia County, injured riders and their families need an experienced Daytona Beach motorcycle accident attorney such as James O. Cunningham to protect their rights and help them receive the compensation they deserve.
Types of Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Even when properly geared, riders know that the best equipment can only provide so much protection in an accident with another vehicle. In many cases in collisions with vehicles weighing thousands of pounds, riders suffer common injuries such as these:
- Road rash
Road rash or abrasions from contact with the roadway and other objects are the most common type of motorcycle accident injury. In most cases, road rash is very painful but easily treated. However, severe cases of road rashes require expensive skin grafts and long recovery times. - Broken arms and legs
Limb fractures are also quite common, with around 13 to 20 percent of all accidents resulting in a broken arm or leg. In severe cases such as compound fractures, there may be nerve and/or blood vessel involvement, requiring injured riders to undergo lengthy physical rehabilitation. - Chest trauma
Blunt force injuries to the chest can result in several life-threatening conditions such as rib and sternal fractures, hematomas, punctured lungs, fluid buildup in the heart and lung, ruptured livers and others. - Head trauma
Head injuries are some of the most frightening as severe concussions, blood clots, ruptured blood vessels and other injuries can change victims forever and prevent them from working and providing for their families. - Neck and back injuries
Everyone knows that injuries to the neck and spine can lead to paralysis, debilitating, chronic back pain, limited mobility and range of movement and many more serious and long-term conditions. - Pelvic injuries
Pelvic injuries usually occur when a rider has been struck in the pelvic area or run over by a vehicle after being thrown from a bike. Since the pelvis protects many vital organs and provides support for the spine, pelvic injuries often require months and years of excruciating and expensive medical treatment.
Contact an Experienced Daytona Beach Motorcycle Accident Attorney
James O. Cunningham has been helping injured motorcyclists since 1977 and has earned the reputation of a tireless lawyer who is extraordinarily skilled at helping them receive the fair and just compensation they need to pay medical bills, replace lost wages and provide for their families. If you are a rider who has been injured by a negligent driver and would like to speak with a Daytona Beach motorcycle accident attorney with more than three decades of experience, call Mr. Cunningham today. Schedule your free consultation by calling in Daytona Beach at 386-243-4994.