Motorcyclist Common Accident, Crash Injuries

A motorcyclist has an increased risk of injury every time they get on their bike and get on the road. There is no barrier to protect them in the case of a crash or accident. Because of this, motorcycle injuries sustained can be life-changing. The most common injuries that motorcycle riders sustain and suffer when involved in accidents and crashes tend to be related to high traffic, speed, distracted drivers, and construction. This means that most common motorcycle accidents and crash injuries are severe.

Road Rash

Also known as road burn. This is a type of burn that is caused when the body’s skin gets badly scraped and shredded from the road. This often happens when a rider is thrown from the motorcycle skidding down the road before coming to a stop. Road rash can happen on any part of the body. For motorcyclists, it is common on the legs, hands, arms, and back.  It can be excruciating even though the injury is not considered fatal, complications and overlapping injuries can develop. This is usually in the form of infections that can affect mobility and flexibility issues that can require further medical intervention and rehabilitation. In severe cases, it can require skin grafts. Depending on the severity it can leave permanent scarring. Treatment often includes antibiotics, bandage dressings, burn soothing and disinfectant creams.

Fractures and Broken Bones

When a motorcycle and a vehicle collide, it is very common for the motorcyclist to get thrown or knocked off with intense force. When the rider hits the ground, the impact alone can cause fractures and breaks. If the rider lands at an awkward angle this can definitely cause a fracture or break. Broken bones can happen anywhere on the body, but are most commonly sustained in the arms and legs. Broken ribs are also common and usually occur when the motorcyclist gets hit or falls hard. Motorcycle endorsement classes emphasize the ATGATT system that stands for All The Gear, All The Time. This means wearing motorcyclist protective clothing and ankle-high boots. Ankle injuries and fractures are commonly sustained from operating a motorcycle.

Spinal Cord Injuries

If the spinal cord gets injured or damaged the results can be devastating. Depending on the area of the injury, an individual might not be able to walk, use their arms, or move at all. Spinal cord injuries tend to happen when the motorcyclist gets thrown hard or up in the air landing hard on their neck, back, or the body gets pierced by an object. Spine fractures often happen when the rider gets pinned or crushed between vehicles and objects. This can cause temporary or permanent paralysis.

Traumatic Brain Injury

This is one of the most serious injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. Traumatic brain injury – TBI is when the brain sustains trauma. These injuries usually happen when a motorcyclist is involved in an accident and is not wearing a helmet, their head hits an object forcefully, the head is shaken violently back and forth, or if the skull gets punctured.  Around 15% of motorcyclists involved in accidents that receive medical treatment are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. When a person sustains a TBI, they can develop physical and cognitive deficits. Depending on the severity, brain injuries can be treated with surgery, traction, and rehabilitation, but can have lifelong effects.

Organ Injury and Damage

Intense and forceful impacts can cause internal organ damage. Internal bleeding is common in motorcycle accidents. This can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. Injuries that prove to be fatal, more than three-quarters are caused by traumatic brain injury.

Therapy Rehabilitation

Our experienced team of accident physical therapists and chiropractic team will review the details of the collision, medical treatments and develop a thorough rehabilitation plan. Call our team today and let us help you put your life back together.

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Body Composition

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Breakfast and Mental Health

Beyond an individual’s physical health, breakfast can significantly impact mood and mental health. According to a 2018 study, a healthy high-quality breakfast has been shown to reduce stress and depression in adolescents. Breakfast nutritional quality was based on individual responses to the following questions:

• Do you have cereal or other grain-based products bread, toast, etc?
• Do you have some type of dairy product for breakfast?
• Do you have commercially baked goods like biscuits or pastries for breakfast?

If a participant stated they consumed commercially baked goods and did not eat bread/toast/cereal or dairy products for breakfast, this was considered a poor quality breakfast. Avoiding commercially baked goods altogether and eating whole bread, healthy cereals, and/or dairy products was considered a good quality breakfast. Choosing grain-based foods along with dairy products was considered healthy because these foods provide a wide range of nutrients. Healthy cereals can provide:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Micronutrients

Results found that individuals that ate healthy quality breakfasts had:

• Reduced mental distress
• Reduced depressive symptoms
• Increased positive mood
• Improved quality of life

References

Alicioğlu, Banu et al. “Motosiklet kazalarina bağli yaralanmalar” [Injuries associated with motorcycle accidents]. Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica vol. 42,2 (2008): 106-11.

Araujo, Miguel et al. “Effectiveness of interventions to prevent motorcycle injuries: a systematic review of the literature.” International journal of injury control and safety promotion vol. 24,3 (2017): 406-422. doi:10.1080/17457300.2016.1224901

Dupaix, John P et al. “A Comparison of Skeletal Injuries Arising from Moped and Motorcycle Collisions.” Hawai’i journal of health & social welfare vol. 78,10 (2019): 311-315.

Elsemesmani, Hussein et al. “Association Between Trauma Center Level and Outcomes of Adult Patients with Motorcycle Crash-Related Injuries in the United States.” The Journal of emergency medicine vol. 59,4 (2020): 499-507. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.06.018

Peng, Yinan et al. “Universal Motorcycle Helmet Laws to Reduce Injuries: A Community Guide Systematic Review.” American journal of preventive medicine vol. 52,6 (2017): 820-832. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2016.11.030