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7 of the Most Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Columbus, OH

common motorcycle accident injuries

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of riding a motorcycle on the open roads around Columbus. But that amazing feeling of freedom can get shattered in an instant when a crash occurs. As motorcycle accident injury lawyers, we’ve witnessed firsthand the devastating physical and emotional toll these collisions can inflict on riders.

While taking proper precautions like wearing helmets and protective gear helps, the reality is a motorcycle provides little protection when forcefully struck by another vehicle or the ground. Today, we’re taking an honest look at seven of the most common and severe injuries frequently sustained in Columbus motorcycle accidents.

1. Head and Brain Injuries

Let’s start with one of the most catastrophic outcomes – head and brain trauma. Even with a helmet, the violent forces involved in a motorcycle crash can cause life-altering traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) like concussions, hemorrhages, skull fractures, and more. The lingering effects of a TBI can include cognitive impairments, physical disabilities, personality changes, and intense emotional upheaval that may never fully resolve.

2. Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord’s vulnerability also makes it a prime target for severe damage in motorcycle accidents. When the spine gets compressed, fractured, or severed due to the intense impact, it can result in partial or complete paralysis from that point down. Injuries rendering someone paraplegic or quadriplegic are absolutely devastating, stripping away independence and mobility forever.

3. Broken Bones and Fractures

With little to protect them beyond riding gear, a motorcycle rider’s bones bear the brutality of a crash’s force. Extreme impacts frequently lead to broken arms, legs, hips, ribs, and more. These fractures can range from relatively simple breaks to severely compounded crush injuries requiring extensive surgical repairs, hospitalizations, and grueling rehab just to recover basic mobility and strength.

4. Road Rash and Degloving Injuries

When a motorcycle lays down, the rider’s exposed skin makes frictional contact with the unforgiving road surface. This can quite literally rip the skin off, leaving excruciatingly painful road rash over widespread areas of the body. Worse, it can deglove large sections, completely detaching skin and tissue from the underlying muscles and bones – an unthinkably traumatic injury.

5. Soft Tissue Damage

The blunt force impacts also wreak havoc on the body’s soft tissue structures like muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Severe whiplash injuries to the neck, torn ligaments, bursitis, contusions, and other soft tissue damage can severely restrict mobility while also causing intense, lasting pain.

6. Internal Organ Injuries

While road rash and orthopedic injuries get immediate focus, the internal damage sustained is an often overlooked danger. The forces from a motorcycle collision can cause internal bleeding, bruising or rupturing of organs, arterial lacerations, and other internal injuries that can rapidly become life-threatening if not quickly diagnosed and treated.

7. Post-Traumatic Stress

Finally, even after the physical injuries heal, the psychological scars continue for motorcycle accident survivors. PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other mental health impacts shouldn’t be underestimated. The emotional trauma of a serious crash can permeate all aspects of one’s life going forward without proper care and support.

Getting the Compensation You Deserve After a Motorcycle Accident

Suffering one or more of the devastating injuries above after a motorcycle crash means your life has likely been upended. Between medical bills, lost wages from missed work during recovery, and immense physical and emotional pain – the financial burdens can quickly become overwhelming.

That’s where securing rightful compensation through a personal injury settlement or lawsuit becomes crucial. As motorcycle accident lawyers, we aim to alleviate those financial stresses by going after the maximum compensation you deserve.

This can include current and future payments for:

  • All medical expenses (emergency transport, hospitalizations, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, medical equipment, etc.)
  • Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity
  • Home modifications for disabilities
  • In-home nursing or personal care services
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress/mental anguish
  • Loss of enjoyment/quality of life
  • Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence

These types of catastrophic injuries change lives forever – if survivors are lucky enough to keep theirs. If you or a loved one suffered serious harm in a motorcycle accident in Columbus, having legal representation is critical. Our team will meticulously investigate your crash, build a strategic case strategy, and fight aggressively to secure the monetary compensation and justice you deserve.

The Jones Firm’s experienced Ohio motorcycle accident lawyers assist injured riders statewide. We comprehensively investigate wrecks and aggressively pursue maximum compensation. Contact our Columbus office for a FREE case review now.

Author Bio

Geoff Jones is the CEO and Managing Partner of The Jones Firm, a personal injury law firm in Columbus, Ohio. With years of experience in personal injury law, he has zealously represented clients in a wide range of legal matters, including car accidents, medical malpractice, slip and falls, wrongful death, and other cases.

Geoff received his Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and is a member of the Columbus Bar Association. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including being selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars for 2022-2023.

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