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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reports that an average of 41 motorcyclists are seriously injured each year in the area, with roughly ten suffering fatalities in motorcycle crashes in the same time frame. Those numbers may not sound high at first until you realize that only about 250 collisions involving motorcycles occur in the entire state of Oregon in a given year.
The types of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash may depend on the kind of incident, be it a car accident, a collision with a pedestrian, or wiping out on wet pavement. Injuries can also vary depending on the results of the crash, such as whether a rider falls to the side, flips over the handlebars, or is struck by or strikes a stationary object.
Nevertheless, there are several injuries common to riders involved in crashes, centered on the head, pelvis, and upper and lower extremities.
Upwards of 50% of motorcycle collisions involve head injuries, which may range from cuts and scratches to the face to full-blown skull fractures, cortical contusions (bleeding on the surface of the brain), traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and more. Head injuries are the most common cause of fatalities in motorcycle crashes.
The angle of impact can be important in determining the injuries a rider sustains. Head-leading injuries, wherein the driver is thrown over the handlebars or is struck head-on, could also cause injuries to the cervical spine (the seven vertebrae that make up the neck). Such injuries occur in up to 8% of collisions that involve a head injury.
Injuries to the pelvis and lower abdomen are frequently associated with crashes in which the rider is propelled forward into the bike’s fuel tank but not necessarily thrown from the bike itself. Up to 85% of pelvic injuries in riding accidents happen this way.
Injuries to the shoulders, wrists, and hands are common in motorcycle collisions, whether the rider is thrown or remains on the vehicle. One condition, known as the “crumple zone effect,” occurs when riders are thrown and extend their arms to break the fall.
That reflex may protect more critical body parts, but the impact can still cause significant injuries, such as broken fingers, wrists, arms, and elbows. Fractures to the distal radius, which lies beneath the thumb and wrist, are common.
Shoulder injuries and torn rotator cuffs may also occur, along with potential nerve damage. You could also experience a condition known as “motorcycle thumb,” an injury to the thumb joint associated with bracing your hands on the handlebars in anticipation of a crash.
Many riders often swerve or tip their bikes to avoid an accident. When they do so, their natural impulse is to put one or both legs out to brace the bike and keep it from falling.
However, the resulting impact, divided between the force of the pavement on one side and the weight of the body and bike on the other, could cause dislocation or fractures to the feet, ankles, and legs or even mangle their extremities.
Entrapment injuries are particularly common when a bike falls, as well, trapping one leg underneath, or when the body is otherwise pinned between the bike and a stationary object (car, tree, building, etc.). As many as 60% of injuries from motorcycle accidents are associated with entrapment, which can also affect the upper extremities.
As all riders know, there’s only so much you can do to avoid a motorcycle accident. Be that as it may, you can do your best to prevent crashes by following the rules of the road, maintaining awareness of traffic and road conditions, leaving space between yourself and other vehicles, and driving defensively.
If you want to enjoy the freedom of riding and avoid common injuries to the head, pelvis, and upper and lower extremities, responsible behavior is an important part of the equation.
If you were injured in an accident in Portland, OR, please contact our Portland motorcycle accident lawyers at Tillmann Law Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
We proudly serve all throughout Multnomah County in Oregon. Visit our office at:
Tillmann Law Personal Injury Lawyers
101 SW Main St. #1905
Portland, OR, 97204
(503) 773-3333
Hours: Open 24/7
