Recovering Compensation for Motorcycle Accident-Related Chest Trauma

Motorcycle accidents are notorious for being particularly violent and resulting in serious injuries, especially to the torso and chest areas. Unfortunately, the injuries sustained in these kinds of collisions tend to be so severe that victims are often forced to contend with chronic pain or disability for the rest of their lives. Victims who find themselves in this situation are often saddled with staggering medical expenses and other costs, so if you were recently involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered a severe injury, you should consider speaking with an experienced Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer who can help you seek compensation for your losses.

Why are Motorcyclists Prone to Chest Injuries?

Unlike standard passenger vehicles, motorcycles don’t have airbags or a frame that can help absorb some of the impact of a collision. This high level of exposure, in addition to the different positioning of a motorcyclist, means that riders are generally more prone to injury in the event of a collision than other motorists. This risk is especially high for particular body parts, including the chest and torso. Motorcyclists who are involved in collisions with drivers, for instance, are more likely to suffer from trauma to the torso, not only because of the direct impact they experience when they slam into another object, but because of secondary factors. Many motorcyclists, for instance, are forced to undergo a second impact when they are thrown from their motorcycles, or may even find themselves crushed by and trapped beneath a motorcycle itself.

Common Chest Injuries

Some of the most brutal injuries that a person can sustain in a collision are chest related. This is largely due to the fact that the torso houses many of our essential organs and damage to those organs can put a person’s life at risk. Some of the most common chest injuries sustained by motorcyclists include:

• Broken ribs or a fractured sternum, which can be painful, limit mobility, and even lead to the rupturing or laceration of nearby organs;
• Punctured lungs, which can cause internal bleeding, lung collapse, and overall respiratory failure;
• Pulmonary contusions, which occur when a blunt force trauma causes blood vessels to burst and leak blood into the lungs;
• Blunt aortic injuries, which occur when blunt force trauma or a penetrating injury cause small tears inside of an artery;
• Pericardial tamponade, which occurs when blood pools in the membrane around that heart, causing potential heart failure; and
• Blunt cardiac trauma, including contusions and ruptures.

Motorcyclists who sustain these types of thoracic injuries usually face an uphill battle when it comes to obtaining treatment and the length of their recovery, with many requiring multiple surgeries and physical therapy. Fortunately, these costs can be recovered if a motorcyclist can prove that someone else was responsible for the crash in question.

Were You Injured in a Motorcycle Accident in Florida?

For help recovering compensation after your own Florida motorcycle accident, please call Boone & Davis today, where one of our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers can be reached at 954-566-9919.

Resource:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217482/