Motorcycle accidents tend to be more severe than car accidents because the victim takes the entire force of the impact, whereas the car takes the brunt of the force for a passenger in a car accident. Because you are at more risk of severe injuries after a motorcycle accident, you should always seek medical care from a doctor who can evaluate you, order diagnostic testing, and recommend treatment or follow-up care for your injuries. Then you can reach out to a personal injury attorney to find out how you can recover those financial losses, recommends agrusslawfirm.com/personal-injury/motorcycle-accident/.
Who will pay for my medical expenses?
It’s understandable to be wary of seeking out the professional opinion of a doctor when that can cost you a lot, and you feel fine. Under Illinois personal injury law, you have the right to recover damages for your medical expenses from the liable party if you can prove that they caused the accident that led to your injuries. You can also recover lost wages, among other damages.
Additionally, most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis and offer a free case evaluation to injured victims so that they can learn more about their rights and what their experience will be like as their client of that firm. Your consultation is risk-free, there is no obligation, and you only pay if they win damages for you. In fact, a personal injury attorney may be able to win you a higher settlement than you would have received had you represented yourself. Sometimes the insurance companies offer settlements that are almost insulting and don’t adequately compensate the victim for their tangible losses and their pain and suffering. A motorcycle attorney with years of experience knows how to get what their client needs.
Using evidence from the police report, photos from the scene of the accident, and eyewitness or expert witness testimony, your attorney will thoroughly investigate your claim and develop a strong case for the defendant’s negligence. The sooner you see a medical professional for your health evaluation, the stronger your case is.
How Pain Is Masked By Adrenaline
Humans developed physical responses ages ago that aided in our collective survival called “stress-induced analgesia.” Even though we live with modern advancements in medicine, our bodies still function the same way they did a millennia ago when there were constant threats to everyday survival. When the body is in a high-stress environment, such as a hunt for food or after a car accident, it will react the same way now as it did then: it will reallocate resources to help you react to the stressor and release a ton of adrenaline and endorphins. These neurotransmitters act as natural pain killers by focusing your attention on staying alive and not on the pain.
Therefore, it is possible to have a broken bone, internal injuries, or a head injury without noticing external symptoms. You may be counting your lucky stars that you left the scene of your motorcycle accident unscathed. You may even think that you do not need to seek medical treatment, but this is taking a huge risk since you could be in excruciating pain only a few hours later.
What injuries are common after motorcycle accidents?
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by motorcyclists hitting their head during the accident. Initially, you may feel fine, or may even have a slight headache, but these can be signs of a brain injury that could manifest into something more severe if not taken care of right away.
Whiplash is another common injury that many people shrug off as not being that big of a deal. Unfortunately, sometimes a few hours or days later, they find themselves in extreme pain, cannot move their neck or arm above their shoulders, and have difficulty sleeping. Whiplash patients suffer extreme trauma to the neck ligaments, intervertebral discs, and the facet joints. A medical professional can order the proper diagnostic testing, give you a prognosis for your neck or spine injuries, and recommend a clinic that specializes in physical and massage therapy to treat your pulled muscles.
Abdominal injuries also occur after motorcycle accidents. If your core struck the ground or part of your bike very hard, then that can not only damage the soft tissues but burst the capillaries in your abdomen, leading to internal bleeding. This is a life-threatening injury, but a doctor can catch it and help you heal if you seek out a medical evaluation.
Fractures of the shoulders, arms, wrists, ribs, and hips are common after motorcycle accidents. Breaking a bone in the arm or wrist is often due to the biker trying to break their fall with their arms once they realize that they are falling off their bike. Because motorcycles don’t offer a protective barrier like cars do, pelvic and shoulder fractures are also common from the biker being flung from their motorcycle.
Road rash is any type of skin abrasion caused by friction when the biker is scraped across the asphalt. It is an extremely painful condition and, if left untreated, can become infected and even more painful. Signs of a road rash infection include:
- Increased swelling or redness
- Increased pain
- Skin is warm to the touch
- Pus or fluid is draining from the wound
- The injury victim has developed flu-like symptoms such as fever and body aches
Facial fractures and disfigurement are caused by a combination of road rash and broken bones when the biker strikes the ground or any solid object after their crash. These injuries usually require several surgeries over the course of months or years.
Are motorcyclists required to wear a helmet in Illinois?
There’s no law requiring motorcyclists to wear a helmet in the state of Illinois. However, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) strongly recommends that all riders wear a helmet to prevent the most serious head and brain injuries after a motorcycle crash.