Common Injuries from Motorcycle Accidents in Tennessee

By Thomas Greer | October 24, 2013

Motorcyclists enjoy taking their bikes along the roads in Tennessee.  The mild weather throughout much of the year means that there are plenty of riding days.  However, the number of riders also leads to many accidents throughout the state.  When a motorcycle gets into an accident, almost eighty percent of the time there are injuries and they are serious.  There are many different types of injury that can result from a bike accident, but five common types of harm, specifically:

  • Severe road rash – A biker does not have much protection between his flesh and the pavement.  Even if he or she dresses in riding leather, the friction that results from a slide across the road at a high rate of speed leads to cuts, abrasions, and burns.  These injuries can be extremely painful and may easily become infected.
  • Disfigurement – This is the result of the lacerations, abrasions, and burns that can occur in a bike accident.  Protective clothing and a helmet can minimize the risk of this permanent injury, but the more severe the crash, the more likely that the injuries will be extensive enough to lead to disfigurement.  This injury is a big part of many pain and suffering calculations.
  • Broken bones and fractures – A bike lacks safety features such as air bags and a steel protective cage.  A device like seat belts works wonderfully in a car, but would only cause more harm on a bike.  Therefore, an accident on a bike leads to contact between the rider and the road or another vehicle.  Impact forces will result in fractures and broken bones in many cases due to the lack of structural protections.
  • Spinal cord injuries – The impact between a motorcycle and another vehicle frequently causes the rider to be thrown from the bike at a high rate of speed, resulting in a collision with another vehicle, the road, or a nearby structure.  Motorcyclists suffer from severe spinal cord damage as a result of these types of accidents.  This can cause partial or complete paralysis.  Even if the biker is lucky enough to (eventually) walk away from the accident, he or she may face a lifetime of debilitating back pain, nerve damage, or disc injuries.
  • Traumatic brain injury – Severe head trauma can result from a motorcycle accident, especially if the biker is not wearing a helmet.  Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to bleeding in the brain or extreme swelling.  If a biker has suffered from TBI, he or she may have impaired cognitive ability, including problems with memory, creation of new learning pathways, and recognizing familiar people and objects.  In addition, TBI can impact neurological functions including vision, hearing, and speech.  These types of injuries frequently prevent an accident victim from returning to his or her prior career and may lead to a complete inability to work.

A biker must take care to avoid accidents by paying attention to other vehicles at all times and anticipating dangerous situations.  However, even the most hyper-vigilant biker may become the victim of someone else’s negligence, leading to terrible injuries.

If riding your bike on Tennessee roads has lead to a serious accident in which you suffered harm, it is necessary to retain experienced motorcycle accident attorneys like those at the law firm of Bailey & Greer, PLLC.  Our experienced and knowledgable Tennessee motorcycle accident lawyers understand the horrific consequences of a motorcycle accident.  We have the knowledge and expertise to recover a damages award that will pay all your medical bills and compensate you for your pain and suffering.  Please call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a free and confidential evaluation where we can discuss the best legal strategy to get you the results that you deserve.

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