Motorcycle accidents are extremely dangerous events, as there is a high likelihood that you do not walk away from the accident completely uninjured. All it takes is one small mistake by another driver on the road for you to suffer an injury that can change the course of your life. Even if you can make a complete recovery, you are likely looking at a lengthy period before you can heal from your injuries. In some cases, your motorcycle accident injuries may be permanent, and they will affect you for the rest of your life.
Besides seeking the medical help you need to recover, you should also get help from an experienced Waco motorcycle accident lawyer. The fact that you have suffered an injury does not pause the legal process. You need to be prepared to move to seek compensation even before the time when you may be fully healed from your accident injuries.
A motorcycle accident lawyer can take over the legal process, helping you build the case you need to qualify for compensation. You must still be involved in your case, but your motorcycle accident attorney will do the heavy lifting at all phases. If you have not already spoken to a motorcycle accident attorney about your case, now is the time to schedule a free initial consultation. A motorcycle accident lawyer should make it easy for you to speak with them, offering your consultation over the phone or even coming to speak with you physically.
How Many Motorcyclists Are Injured in Accidents?
Motorcyclists are rarely involved in accidents when they do not suffer personal injuries. Statistics show that roughly three-quarters of motorcyclists who are involved in an accident suffer some type of physical injury. Of course, the severity of these injuries varies, but you can count on having to deal with some type of physical injury if you have been in a motorcycle accident.
Even if you feel fine in the days after the accident, you may not yet be out of the woods. Some motorcycle accident injuries are not immediately apparent at the scene of the crash. For example, you may have suffered whiplash or internal injuries that may only show symptoms days after the actual accident. These injuries are perhaps even more dangerous because they are lurking beneath the surface, and they can even be life-threatening if they are not promptly treated.
Why Motorcycle Accident Injuries Are More Serious
To be clear, any type of motor vehicle accident has the potential to cause serious injury or even death (roughly five to six percent of motorcycle accident victims will die in the crash). If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash, chances are that your injuries may be more serious, on average, than one might suffer in a car accident.
One does not have the same protections as a driver or passenger car occupant when riding a motorcycle. The motorcyclist does not have an airbag, nor do they have the exterior steel and crumple zones that surround occupants of a passenger car. It is just the biker and their bike. The motorcyclist may have a helmet and safety gear, but these may only reduce the severity of accident injuries in some instances, and they certainly cannot prevent all physical harm.
In addition, the motorcyclist can be subject to two different forms of hard impact in an accident. First, they can be struck by a car or truck, which can cause initial injuries. Chances are that the motorcyclist will be thrown from their bike to the pavement, often at a high speed. There is very little to fully protect the motorcyclist from injury.
Common Types of Physical Injuries in a Motorcycle Accident
You may suffer one or more serious physical injuries in a motorcycle accident that can include:
- Fractures and broken bones: The hard impact of the accident can cause one or more broken bones. You may need surgery to repair a serious break. In any event, you may be looking at a long recovery time from the fracture.
- Spinal cord injuries: If you suffer trauma to your head or neck, or a fractured vertebra that damages or compresses your spinal cord, you can be left with a lasting injury. You can lose movement beneath the area in your body below where the spinal cord has been damaged.
- Traumatic brain injury: If you sustained an impact on your head or your brain was jarred within your skull, you can sustain a brain injury. These injuries may cause you to lose certain functions since the brain cannot heal itself.
- Internal injuries: Impact to your body can cause injuries beneath the surface that you may not be aware of right away. You can suffer internal bleeding or organ damage, and you may not realize right away that you have been injured. Internal injuries can be life-threatening if they are not treated immediately.
- Burns: If a fire was associated with the crash or parts of your body came into contact with a hard surface, you can suffer burns. If you have sustained serious burns, you may need multiple skin grafts in the future to repair the damage.
- Soft tissue injuries: Soft tissue includes practically every part of your body that is not hard bone. The sudden and violent motion associated with a motorcycle accident can cause soft tissue sprains or tears. These injuries can restrict your mobility until they can be repaired.
Road rash is an injury you may suffer in a motorcycle accident that you may not sustain in other motor vehicle crashes. Here, you may be thrown from your motorcycle as a result of the crash. When that happens, your body may skid along the hard pavement for an extended distance.
Road rash is a form of burn to your skin. You might suffer a deep skin abrasion that is similar to a burn. There can potentially be a large amount of bleeding and raw skin. Road rashes can lead to a serious infection in the days after the accident. In addition, since there is a type of burn involved, you may experience permanent scarring and disfigurement. You may even need multiple skin grafts in the long term to replace permanently damaged skin.
What to Do If You Have Suffered Physical Injuries in a Motorcycle Accident
You must take care of your health after a motorcycle accident, doing everything in your power to have your injuries treated or diagnosed. If you were injured at the time of the accident and treated at the scene or taken to the hospital, you need to follow up on your medical care. It is up to you to see all the necessary doctors and follow their treatment recommendations.
Certainly, if you begin to notice symptoms of an injury in the days after the accident, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never make the determination on your own that you do not need to see a doctor. You owe it to yourself to get seen by a doctor, erring on the side of caution and not trying to “tough it out.” You have an affirmative obligation to mitigate your damages after you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident. If you do not do everything in your power to help yourself, the insurance company may claim that you have not met your own duty and may try to reduce the amount of money they pay you. For example, if you suffered a brain injury that grew worse because it was not treated, the insurance company may only offer you the amount of money that is consistent with the damages you might have suffered had your injury been treated promptly.
How Your Physical Injuries in a Motorcycle Accident May Affect You
Physical injuries often impose costs on you in a number of ways. The financial effects of a motorcycle accident injury are the most obvious, even though they may be subject to different interpretations. From an economic standpoint, you will be facing high medical bills to treat your injuries, both the medical care that you have already received and that which you may need in the future. Your ability to work may also have been affected. You might have missed an extended period from work when you were recovering from your motorcycle accident injuries. If your injuries are severe enough, you may not ever work again in the future.
In addition, physical injuries can impact your life in several other ways. You are entitled to compensation for how your injury has changed your individual life instead of using a set formula to determine these damages. You are not the same as every other motorcycle accident claimant, and nothing says you need to be paid the same as them.
Non-economic damages that you may seek compensation for in a motorcycle accident claim include:
- Pain and suffering: Your physical injuries can cause you both pain and mental health effects. For example, having to cope with motorcycle accident injuries can cause depression and anxiety.
- Emotional distress: The motorcycle accident itself (both the actual crash and the immediate aftermath) was likely a traumatic event. You might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder for an extended period of time after the accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: You can be compensated for the changes in your life since the motorcycle accident. For example, you may have had active hobbies you can no longer enjoy because of your physical injuries.
- Scarring and disfigurement: If you have suffered any permanent scarring, you may be compensated for it. The amount of your compensation may be larger when the scarring is in a prominent and visible place.
Why You Should Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney and How They Can Help
You may be entitled to a substantial amount of compensation when you can prove that the driver involved in your accident (or another third party) was to blame for what happened. Your legal obligation is proving that someone else was negligent in the circumstances surrounding your accident. If you can carry your burden of proof, you should be eligible for a settlement check or a financial award from a jury.
You are not in a position to carry the burden of proof on your own. Doing so often requires a comprehensive investigation of the accident. You may also be unable to beat back any wrongful allegations that the insurance company may make that you were completely or partially to blame for the accident. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can get to the bottom of the crash and present a compelling case showing that you deserve compensation for the accident.
Then, a motorcycle accident attorney can quantify how you have been affected by the accident to reach the total you should include in a claim or lawsuit. It requires knowledge and experience to understand the elements of motorcycle accident compensation and how they apply to your situation.
Your motorcycle accident lawyer can fight for you to receive the highest amount of compensation you are due. They can deal directly with the insurance company in what might be protracted settlement negotiations. Your motorcycle accident attorney pushes back on your behalf when you have received a settlement offer that does not reflect the reality of your case. They may even file a lawsuit for you in court when they cannot settle the claim with the insurance company or realize that it may not be an effective use of your time to negotiate directly with them.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near You Today
If you need legal representation following a motorcycle crash injury, the best time to schedule a free consultation is now. By doing so, you give your attorney a chance to preserve evidence and build a strong case. They will immediately relieve stress of the legal process from your shoulders, so you can focus on what’s really important - your health and recovery.
Consultations are free, and you pay nothing upfront to hire a Waco personal injury attorney. Call a firm near you now.
