Getting Thrown from a Motorcycle

In early November, a man was riding a motorcycle in North Austin when he was reportedly struck by a pickup. He became pinned under the truck and then required emergency trauma assistance for “potentially life-threatening” injuries. 

Earlier this year in August, a man lost his life in a motorcycle accident Austin. The motorcyclist ran into the barrier on a 183 ramp, which caused him to fall over the barricade and onto U.S. 290 below.

The two above stories are examples of the risks motorcyclists face of getting thrown from their bikes in the event of a crash. This factor alone can increase the severity of the injuries a motorcyclist faces if they are hit by a car or run off the road. 

Lack of Safety Features

When you are riding in a passenger vehicle, you have a number of features intended to keep you safe in the event of a crash. These include seat belts, airbags, roll bars, and even the steel frame of the vehicle that are meant to keep motorists restrained inside the vehicle to prevent additional injuries in an impact.

Motorcycles, on the other hand, have none of these features. When a motorcyclist is in a collision, there is nothing to keep them on the bike. For this reason, it is common for motorcyclists to get thrown from the motorcycle, often leading to multiple traumatic injuries.

Common Injuries from Motorcycle Accidents

When a car hits a motorcycle, the rider can be immediately injured at the point of impact. However, the motorcyclist may then be thrown into the air, hitting other vehicles, landing hard on the concrete, skidding across the roadway, getting pinned under a car, or even falling, such as in the accident described above. These residual effects of the initial crash can result in many additional injuries, and many motorcyclists sustain injuries to multiple parts of their bodies.

Some of the common injuries sustained by motorcyclists after getting thrown from a bike include:

1. Spinal cord injury
2. Traumatic brain injury
3. Shattered bones
4. Broken ribs
5. Broken pelvis
6. Broken hips
7. Dislocations
8. Soft tissue tears
9. Facial and jaw fractures
10. Skull fractures
11. Friction burns
12. Internal organ damage
13. Internal hemorrhaging 

All of these injuries require emergency trauma care and extensive treatment. Many motorcyclists need to be hospitalized and might require surgery. The recovery time can be long, and accident victims may need to miss months of work in the process. Some of the above injuries can leave a motorcyclist with permanent disabilities and disfigurement, which can alter the rest of their lives. 

More: The Risks of Rear-End Motorcycle Crashes

Contact an Austin Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for Assistance

Unfortunately, it is all too common for a motorcyclist to get thrown when a crash occurs. Not even the best helmet and safety gear can prevent all of the possible traumatic injuries that might result. The law firm of TK Injury Lawyers, represents injured motorcyclists, and we fight for full compensation for their medical bills and other losses. Call (512)-910-2000 or contact us online to learn how an Austin motorcycle accident attorney can help.