Riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than driving or riding in a passenger vehicle. Cars and trucks have a number of safety systems meant to protect their occupants, such as seat belts and airbags. The structure of a vehicle itself also provides protection, and the body of a car or truck contains crumple zones that help keep occupants safe, even in a high-speed crash or rollover accident. 

Without the safety provided by being inside a vehicle, motorcyclists are much more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a collision. However, most motorcyclists recognize this fact, and they take extra care to be as safe as possible. Unfortunately, many drivers do not use the same level of care, and they can inflict severe injuries in a motorcycle accident. By understanding the types of driver negligence that are likely to cause a collision and working with an experienced lawyer, injured motorcyclists can take action to hold a driver responsible for their injuries.

Dangerous Behaviors by Drivers That Can Injure or Kill Motorcyclists

Drivers may commit multiple traffic violations that place motorcyclists at risk of harm, including:

There are multiple types of catastrophic injuries that can result in long-term health issues or permanent impairments. Burn injuries can be especially serious, and they can result in severe pain, complications, scarring and disfigurement, and psychological trauma. By understanding the ways a severe burn injury can impact their health and well-being, victims can pursue compensation that fully addresses the ways they have been affected.

Effects of Moderate or Severe Burn Injuries

Burns are classified into different categories depending on their severity. First-degree burns involve redness of the skin, and they are not usually serious unless they affect a large percentage of a person’s body. Second-degree burns involve redness, blistering, and damage to lower layers of skin. These burns may be considered moderate or severe if they cover more than 10 percent of a person’s body or affect sensitive areas such as the face or hands. Third-degree burns are much more serious, and they may affect all layers of the skin. Fourth-degree burns are even more severe, and they may affect tissues below the skin. Third- or fourth-degree burns will often require hospitalization and surgery, and they can cause permanent scars.

Moderate and severe burn injuries can be very painful, and they can have long-lasting or permanent effects. A person may experience disfiguring scars, as well as restrictions in their range of motion in the areas of the body that were affected. For third- and fourth-degree burns, surgery may be required, and skin grafts may be needed to replace damaged tissue with healthy skin from elsewhere on a person’s body or from a donor. 

A personal injury can affect someone in many ways, and in addition to suffering physical harm, a person may also experience emotional trauma. These issues can linger for years after a person has fully healed from the physical effects of an injury, and they may even impact a victim for the rest of their life. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly affects injury victims, and those who have suffered emotional trauma due to an injury that was caused by someone else will need to understand how they can receive financial compensation that addresses these issues.

Effects of PTSD

Anyone who experiences a traumatic event may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and this issue may occur following car accidents, assaults, sexual abuse, dog bites, or other cases where a person suffered or witnessed a serious injury. PTSD can affect a person in multiple ways, including:

• Mood disorders - PTSD often involves depression or anxiety, especially if a person experiences disturbing memories or flashbacks. Victims will often struggle to regulate their mood, and they may experience mood swings, irritability, guilt or shame, or feelings of numbness or hopelessness. These issues may lead a person to engage in dangerous or self-destructive behavior, such as substance abuse, and a victim may have suicidal thoughts or take action to harm themselves.

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A rear-end collision is often considered to be a minor type of car accident, especially when compared to a head-on collision or other high-speed accidents. However, rear-end accidents can still be very harmful to the occupants of a vehicle, while also causing extensive damage to a vehicle or other property. Drivers or passengers who suffer injuries can work with an attorney to determine how they can receive compensation from the driver who caused an accident.

Common Injuries in Rear-End Collisions

Even when collisions occur at low speeds, they are likely to place a great deal of stress on a person’s body, which can lead to serious injuries. Passenger vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, and the momentum of a vehicle that strikes another vehicle from behind will be transferred to the vehicle being struck and the people inside it. This can cause a person’s body to be jerked backwards and forwards, leading to injuries such as:

• Whiplash - A collision may cause a person’s head to snap back and forth suddenly. This can put strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck, and it may damage the cervical vertebrae or the spinal cord. This type of injury can cause pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and arms, as well as headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Damage to the spinal cord or the vertebrae in the neck may also cause chronic pain, numbness, or paralysis in different parts of the body, and a person may require surgery or ongoing physical therapy.

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Bicyclists understand that they are at risk of injury when riding near vehicles. However, drivers are responsible for sharing the road safely with bicycles and taking the proper measures to avoid bicycle accidents. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to live up to this responsibility. If drivers do not notice bicycles near their vehicle, or if they act unsafely when bicycles are on the road, they can cause serious injuries to bicyclists. One way people in vehicles can injure bicycles is through “dooring.”

What Is Dooring?

When drivers park on the side of a busy road, they will likely be aware of other vehicles, and they will be looking to protect their own safety when they open their doors and exit their vehicle. However, drivers and passengers often fail to look for bicycles in these situations, including those who are traveling in bike lanes or who are riding in a lane of traffic near parked vehicles. If a person in a vehicle opens their door without checking for bicycles, they may block a bicyclist’s path or strike a bicycle.

In many cases, dooring will cause a cyclist to fall from their bike. A bicyclist who cannot stop before colliding with a car door in their path may be sent flying over their handlebars. This can cause multiple types of injuries when a cyclist collides with a door and lands on the ground. These may include serious cuts and bruises, broken bones, dislocated joints such as shoulders or wrists, injuries to the spinal cord and the vertebrae in the neck or back, or traumatic brain injuries, which may occur even if a person is wearing a helmet.