The Most Common Motorcycle Injury in Burien

Since motorcycles do not have a protective metal frame or contain airbags like other vehicles, crashes involving them often lead to catastrophic injuries. Even if the rider was wearing a helmet, common motorcycle accident injuries can require extensive medical treatment — or even result in fatality. If you were hurt in a Burien motorcycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for the damages you suffered.

Common Injuries in Burien Motorcycle Accidents

Whether you were a motorcycle operator or passenger, accidents involving these vehicles can result in severe injuries. According to statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 82,686 motorcyclists were injured in 2021 and 5,932 were killed. The data also shows that the fatality rate for motorcyclists was nearly 24 times greater than that for passenger vehicle occupants.

Some of the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents include:

• Broken and fractured bones — Many different bones can be broken or fractured in a motorcycle accident, including arm bones, the femur, pelvic bones, shins, and wrists.
• Spine injuries — Spinal injuries are common in motorcycle accidents, including herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, spinal stenosis, cervical spine injuries, and thoracic spine injuries.
• Paralysis — Motorcycle accident victims can experience total or partial paralysis, depending on the part of the spine that was injured.
• Road rash — Road rash is a type of abrasion that is caused by friction against the pavement when a rider is thrown from the motorcycle. These injuries can range from minor scrapes to deep wounds that expose the bone.
• Internal organ damage — Internal organ damage can occur due to a motorcycle accident in connection with the liver, spleen, lungs, brain, and other organs. These injuries are often severe and life-threatening.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) — Traumatic brain injuries can occur due to a blunt blow to the head when a rider is thrown from the motorcycle.
• Soft tissue injuries — Soft tissue injuries are common in motorcycle accidents, including sprains, strains, contusions, and ligament tears. These injuries can often cause chronic pain and require extensive physical therapy.
• Nerve damage — Motorcycle accidents can cause a victim to suffer injuries to the nerves in the spinal cord, arms, legs, and other body parts.

Other common motorcycle accident injuries can include lacerations, abrasions, ligament damage, and whiplash. Critically, not all injuries are immediately apparent — they may be masked by adrenaline, which can make it more difficult to evaluate the extent of the damage. It’s crucial to seek prompt medical attention after a crash to rule out internal bleeding, organ damage, or other life-threatening injuries that can be hard to detect. A medical professional can prescribe a course of treatment to prevent any existing injuries from worsening and help prevent complications.

Why is Medical Documentation Important to Obtain Motorcycle Accident Compensation?

Seeking medical attention for your motorcycle accident injuries is not only essential for your health — your medical documentation will serve as the foundation for any personal injury claim you may file. These records are vital evidence to show the injuries you sustained, how they impacted your life, and the monetary losses you incurred due to your medical costs. Your medical records can also demonstrate the extent of your injuries and prove that you are not exaggerating your claim.

In addition, medical records also establish causation. In other words, your medication documentation can help to prove your injuries were caused by the accident at issue, rather than be pre-existing. This is why it’s important not to delay seeking treatment. If too much time goes by between the accident and your first medical appointment, the at-fault party’s insurance company will try to assert that your injuries were caused by another event — and they should not be held responsible for your damages.

What Compensation is Available for Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

Motorcycle accident compensation can include monetary recovery for a wide range of damages. Importantly, by filing a personal injury action, you may be entitled to recover both your economic and non-economic damages. While economic damages are meant to compensate for the financial losses you incurred due to the accident, non-economic damages are designed to cover the intangible losses that are more difficult to quantify.

Specifically, by pursuing a claim for motorcycle accident compensation, you may be entitled to recover the following:

• Unreimbursed medical expenses
• Future medical treatment
• Lost wages
• Future loss of earnings
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium

Under Washington’s comparative negligence rule, you may be entitled to receive compensation from the negligent party if you were partly to blame for the accident. Any compensation awarded would be reduced by your percentage of fault for the accident. Washington law allows you to recover even if you were 99% to blame for your injuries.

Contact an Experienced Burien Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you suffered from the most common motorcycle injury — or any other type of motorcycle crash trauma, you may be entitled to motorcycle accident compensation in a personal injury action. It’s essential to have a skillful attorney by your side who can help you navigate the legal process and ensure you receive the maximum monetary recovery available. With locations in Bellevue and Burien, Herron Law Office, PLLC is committed to securing justice on your behalf. We welcome you to contact us for a consultation to discuss your case by calling (425) 600-2580.