Internal Injuries from Motorcycle Crashes

You may have cuts and bruises, or you may appear to be fine on the outside, but make no mistake about it. Motorcycle accidents can cause serious internal injuries that require prompt medical treatment.

Types of Internal Injuries

Motorcycle riders lack the protection of metal doors, seat belts, and airbags. The force of a crash can cause catastrophic internal injuries, such as:

• Internal bleeding. The accident impact can damage a vein or an artery and cause blood to leak from the vein or artery into other parts of the body.
• Intracranial hemorrhage. Internal bleeding in the brain or skull is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.
• Liver injury. The liver can tear or suffer other injuries during a motorcycle crash.
• Kidney injury. The force of a motorcycle crash can cause bruised kidneys. Severe kidney injuries include internal bleeding and kidney failure.
• Pancreas injury. If the abdomen suffers direct trauma in a motorcycle accident, then the pancreas may be injured.
• Spleen injury. The spleen may rupture during the trauma of a motorcycle wreck.
• Lung injuries. Lung damage, such as punctured lungs, may occur on their own or as a result of a broken rib that punctures the lung.
• Chest trauma. Chest injuries are a common cause of traumatic deaths. Thoracic trauma may interfere with respiration and circulation.
• Broken ribs. Broken ribs may puncture nearby organs causing additional internal injuries.

Sometimes the injured rider feels immediate pain or discomfort and knows that an injury occurred. However, other times internal injury symptoms take a while to appear and may get worse without the motorcyclist knowing about the injury. Getting prompt medical attention and an accurate diagnosis can prevent internal injuries from worsening and help you protect your physical and legal recoveries.

Motorcycle Accident Internal Injury Costs and Damages

Motorcycle accident internal injuries cause significant physical, emotional, and financial damages. If someone else caused your motorcycle accident injuries or your loved one’s death, then you have the right to take legal action to recover for your past, present, and future:

• Medical costs. These costs include all of your healthcare costs from your initial ambulance transport to your hospitalizations, surgeries, doctors’ appointments, medications, physical therapy, other rehabilitation therapies, and assistive medical devices.
• Lost income. The wages, benefits, bonuses, and income from self-employment that you could not earn because of your injuries should be compensated in your legal recovery. This includes a complete loss of income if you couldn’t work at all or partial lost income if you could work fewer hours or a lower-paying job than you did before your motorcycle crash.
• Pain and suffering. The physical pain and emotional suffering that you experience is likely significant. Money can’t undo your pain and suffering, but you can recover damages for these serious aspects of your injury.
• Other expenses. These expenses could include funeral and burial costs in a wrongful death case or transportation costs and household help that you did not need before your accident in a personal injury case.

As the injured party, you must prove the value of these damages to convince the insurance company to settle your case fairly or to the court so that a fair verdict can be issued.

How to Protect Your Motorcycle Crash Internal Injury Recovery

Someone else caused your motorcycle accident injury, but you won’t make a fair recovery unless you take the necessary steps. You can begin protecting your rights immediately after a motorcycle accident injury by calling the police to the accident scene, getting prompt medical attention, and gathering evidence if you are physically able to take pictures and talk to witnesses.

After you leave the accident scene, you can continue to protect your recovery by following your doctor’s treatment plan and contacting an experienced Midwest motorcycle accident lawyer for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Our Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa motorcycle accident attorneys are also riders. Insurance companies know that we mean business and that we aren’t afraid to go to court to get our clients the fair recoveries they deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how we may be able to help you recover after a motorcycle accident crash.