new england motorcycle rider

Spring and summer are just around the corner in Rhode Island and this is about the time when many of us prepare to bring out our motorcycles for an exhilarating ride. While the thrill and excitement of riding a motorcycle is undeniable, it can also prove to be extremely dangerous.

Motorcycle accidents often result in devastating injuries for riders. When a car or truck strikes a motorcycle, it is the motorcycle rider or the passenger who gets severely injured because they have far less protection than someone who is traveling in a vehicle that is equipped with seat belts and airbags.

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Rider with motorcycle accident injuries

Here are the most common injuries motorcycle riders and passengers tend to suffer:

  • Motorcycle Accident Head injury scanHead injuries: The head is the most vital part of the body as it houses the brain and crucial components of the nervous system. In a motorcycle accident, especially if you are not wearing a helmet, your skull may get cracked or your brain may get irreparably damaged. Even so-called minor head injuries such as concussions can have long-term health effects. Any type of injury to the head should be closely monitored and treated right away.
  • Motorcycle Accident neck injuryNeck and back injuries: Injuries to the spinal cord are also common in cases where a motorcycle rider takes a spill or hits his or her back against a hard surface. Injuries may range from strains and sprains to a broken back or even paralysis.
  • Road rash: This is a type of injury suffered when the rider slides on the pavement after a motorcycle accident. Sometimes, if the victim’s clothing is thin, the pavement can scrape away through layers of clothes, tearing the skin underneath. Road rash is not a simple cut or scrape, and can lead to permanent damage, skin irritations, infections and even surface nerve damage.
  • Broken bones: Any part of the body may break as the result of a motorcycle accident. A bone break may take weeks or even months to heal, even after lengthy rehabilitative treatment.
  • Motorcycle Accident leg injuryArm and leg injuries: Injuries to upper and lower extremities are very likely in a motorcycle accident. For example, broken bones or nerve damage may occur when a motorcyclist tries to use his arm to lessen the impact of falling to the ground. Or a rider’s leg may be crushed by a motorcycle that lands on his leg. Some of the common arm and leg injuries include broken bones and nerve and muscle damage.

Motorcycle Accident Injuries: A Challenging Process

RI motorcycle accident lawyer helping victim with motorcycle accident injuries lawsuitGetting maximum compensation in a motorcycle accident case can be challenging. In any personal injury case, the burden of proof rests on the plaintiff. This means he or she must prove fault and liability. Also, in a motorcycle accident case, there may be one or more liable parties such as a negligent driver, the governmental agency in charge of a dangerous roadway or intersection or the manufacturer of a defective motorcycle part.

Juries tend to look at whether a motorcyclist was wearing a helmet and whether he or she was operating the motorcycle in a safe manner. An experienced Rhode Island motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to establish all the facts of the case and present them in a manner that will help victims obtain fair and full compensation for their injuries, damages and losses.

Author Photo

Paul d’Oliveira

Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.

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