Anatomy Of A Motorcycle Crash

Motorcycle accidents tend to be complex events, involving human, vehicle, and environmental factors. While it’s hard to pin down what a typical motorcycle crash looks like, it’s safe to say that they are almost always violent events and often result in serious injury, especially to the riders. In fact, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) more than 80 percent of all motorcycle crashes result in injury or death to the rider.

Why Motorcycle Accidents are So Dangerous

Motorcycle accidents are more likely to result in serious injuries simply because riders lack the protections that passenger vehicles offer. Besides having seat belts and airbags, passenger vehicles have more weight and bulk than motorcycles and are also equipped with door beams and a roof. For these reasons, ejection is a lot more likely for motorcyclists, meaning that they could end up not only striking objects in their path, including vehicles, but eventually coming into contact with the ground. Passenger vehicles are also more stable than motorcycles because they have four wheels and due to their larger size, are much more visible to other motorists, making them easier to avoid.

Motorcycles themselves provide no head injury protection to riders, so a motorcyclist who lacks a helmet will be at very high risk of injury. What motorcycles lose in weight, bulk, and crashworthiness is offset in some ways by their agility, maneuverability, and ability to come to a quick stop. Unfortunately, these benefits don’t outweigh the many risks that riders face.

Motorcycle Accidents Result in Serious Injuries

Motorcyclists who are involved in accidents with other vehicles are much more likely to suffer an injury than the occupants of the larger vehicle. They are, for instance, at more risk of sustaining head trauma and facial injuries, due to the high chance of ejection. While wearing a helmet can help prevent the worst of these injuries, they are no guarantee of safety. Symptoms of head trauma include everything from headaches and nausea to unconsciousness and memory loss. In many cases, these kinds of injuries result in permanent disability. Suffering the types of blunt force impacts involved in motorcycle accidents can also cause injuries to other parts of the body. Many motorcyclists, for instance, suffer internal injuries, like organ damage and internal bleeding. Broken bones, especially in the pelvis, hips, and lower legs are also common. Some of the worst injuries sustained by motorcyclists involve the spinal cord, which if even partially severed, could lead to paralysis.

Tulsa Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Even the most careful of motorcyclists could end up involved in a collision, in which case, that person will be at-risk of suffering severe injuries. If you were involved in such a collision through no fault of your own, please call the dedicated team of Tulsa motorcycle accident attorneys at Levinson Law, P.C. for an assessment of your legal options. You can set up a free consultation by calling our office at 918-492-4433 or by sending us an online message.

Sources:

one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/motorcycle/safebike/anatomy.html

ohso.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc751/f/2020_s5_motorcyclists.pdf