Rs Law Offices/Our blog/The Most Common Types of Motorcycle Injury

The Most Common Types of Motorcycle Injury

26/03/2022

The Most Common Types of Motorcycle Crashes

According to the National Institute of Health, there are four main types of motorcycle crashes. Distinguishing these by category helps determine patterns that can later be used to help treat such accidents. The four main types are:

  • Collision: This occurs when a motorcycle rider experiences deceleration forces and blunt trauma after being struck by a stationary object
  • Lowside: This is when the motorcycle rider, during a turn, falls to the lowside of the angle to which they are leaning
  • Highside: This occurs when a motorcycle rider turns, but falls to the opposite side while trying to correct their turn. This causes the motorcycle to flip, and causes the motorcycle rider to be thrown from the vehicle
  • Topside: The motorcycle rider is flipped over the motorcycle’s handlebars after a sudden deceleration

The Most Common Injuries on a Motorcycle

In the same study, the types of injury resulting from those crash types were also broken down. Riders of motorcycles are six times more likely to be involved in an accident than a driver of a motor vehicle. Understanding these types of injury makes them easier to identify, and therefore treat, by medical professionals.

  • Head-leading collisions: These injuries occur after a motorcycle
    rider is thrown from the motorcycle and usually present with obvious
    head trauma. Skull fractures, contusions and soft tissue injuries are typical,
    as are traumatic brain injuries.
  • Direct vertical impact: This type of injury is often incurred when
    a rider hits their shoulder on a pole or road sign at high speed.
    This can fracture the clavicle or scapula, the forearm, as well as the hand and wrist.
  • Motorcycle radius:  Due to a tendency when thrown from a motorcycle
    to extend one’s arms to brace the body, the radius bone often absorbs
    much of this impact, causing it to fracture.
  • Motorcycle thumb: Also caused by bracing, as well as the locking of
    elbows, if a motorcyclist grips the handlebars during the impact, the
    pressure imparted through handlebars from the collision can injure
    the thumb and related ligaments.
  • Fuel tank injuries: When a motorcycle stops abruptly, injury can occur
    to the pelvis and bladder due to the high velocity.
  • Limb entrapment: When a limb is trapped between the motorcycle and
    a fixed object, it can cause fractures or other injuries, especially in the
    tibia, foot and ankle.
  • Tire Spoke Injury: When a rider’s foot is caught in the spokes of the
    motorcycle’s tire, they can suffer soft-tissue damage and have a high
    amputation risk.
  • Crash modifying maneuver: When a rider attempts to compensate for
    an impending crash by stretching out their leg, they may suffer fracture
    dislocations and mangled extremities.

Why Are Motorcycle Injuries Important to Distinguish?

Due to the scope of injuries that can happen on a motorcycle, medical professionals are often placed under immense pressure to identify the type of injury and potential treatment as rapidly as possible. While these types of patterns were identified and researched to help treat them quickly, it should also help to understand them to increase one’s own safeness when driving or riding a motorcycle.

blogs

You might like

Five Products for Increased Pedestrian Safety

While pedestrians typically have the right of way in most places, that doesn’t automatically make everyone around you a better or safer driver. As pedestrians, we have to activelypractice safety in order to make sure that we are the ones most responsible for our personal safety. Staying aware of our surroundings is always step number […]

21/10/2022
Read more

Courtroom Movies for the Holidays

As winter sets in, the holiday season has truly begun. Many of us are looking forward to seeing our loved ones, some of us for the first time in a long time. Besides feasts and fireside chats, a lot of families have a tradition of gathering together and watching a holiday classic. Through the years, […]

06/12/2021
Read more

Five Apps Every Trucker Should Have

Driving a tractor trailer or any other large vehicle isn’t just about long hours, lots of miles and making sure you’re still driving safely after those lengthy days. It’s a lifestyle, and like any other connected lifestyle in the 21st century, there are plenty of apps to go around designed to help make a truck […]

16/02/2023
Read more

Tips for Driving in the Rain

Especially in areas like LA, where rainfall is not as popular an occurrence, drivers can seem to lose their minds as soon as the first drop hits the pavement. Every year, an estimated 21% of all crashes are related to weather conditions. You need to keep yourself and your family safe on the road, no […]

27/08/2021
Read more

Bicycle Safety in California

In a lot of ways, California is known as the driving capital of America, if not the world. Where else are so many people absolutely defined by their vehicles, their routes to work, and even their carbon footprint for transportation? The state requires some of the most stringent emission requirements across the nation and is […]

07/06/2021
Read more

Looking Out for Motorcycles

In 2019, the number of deaths caused by motorcycles was found to be 29 times that of deaths caused by cars. Motorcycles can go very fast, they have no sides to protect the rider, they are more difficult to see on the road and they do not perform well in bad weather. While it is […]

11/10/2021
Read more

Top 3 Benefits of Engaging a Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

Top 3 Benefits of Engaging a Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles Being in a car accident, regardless of how minor, can be pretty devastating. So, if you’ve recently been involved in a car accident in Los Angeles and you are confused, we assure you it is completely normal to feel that way. Car accidents […]

27/07/2020
Read more

Ridesharing and Car Accidents

Ridesharing services like Uberpool and Lyft are a pretty popular way to get around. According to surveys, the ridesharing industry will reportedly have a market value of over $220 by 2025. However, this increasing popularity is no surprise, as ridesharing services are convenient and cheap.  However, while convenient, ridesharing services are not all sunshine and […]

19/10/2020
Read more

Four Arizona Workers’ Compensation Tips

If you live in Arizona and you suffer an injury while on the job, you should know your rights, in terms of representation, potential compensation, and the laws surrounding workers’ compensation. You should make sure to seek proper medical care, as well, and be certain to keep records of communications and treatments for future reference, […]

17/07/2022
Read more

Ridesharing Services May Help Lower Drunk Driving Accidents

Research has been done in Chicago showing a correlation between ridesharing and drunk driving incidents. The study looks at the relationship between rideshare participants on the road and accidents over about a year’s time. It is no secret that drunk driving leads to catastrophic damages and injury on a regular basis in America. If you […]

21/02/2022
Read more

contact form

Get in touch

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from RS Law Offices. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. View our Privacy Policy.