Riding your bicycle down a sunny Florida road can be a wonderful way to enjoy some exercise while commuting in an environmentally-friendly way. Picture yourself rolling down hills or along an open highway, the wind in your hair, a cool breeze at your back. Or, perhaps, you’re training for a race, and enjoying the burn of those last few miles and thinking about the delicious post-workout meal you have prepped back home. Then boom – a car sideswipes you out of nowhere.
All of your plans are thrown into disarray. Bike accidents caused by careless motorists have a significantly higher rate of injury than normal motorist accidents, and often leave a severe and lasting impact on the biker’s life. From mounting medical bills to potential incapacitation or even death, one unlucky accident caused by a negligent motorist can change a biker’s life forever.
Common Injuries Suffered By Bike Riders In Motor Vehicle Accidents
When bicyclists are hit by a motorist, the injuries are often catastrophic. After all, the only protection the biker has is a mere helmet. Even if the vehicle was crawling along at a slow speed, the exponentially greater mass and weight of the car poses a significant risk to the rider’s body if there is impact. Some common injuries sustained by bikers in such accidents that we often see here at BCN Law Firm include:
- Spinal cord injury: When the spinal cord is compromised, the result may be partial or total paralysis. This is a devastating blow to one’s life; the person may no longer be able to walk or move on their own and be unable to go back to work. They may require assistance with day-to-day activities and personal needs.
- Head injuries: Even when a bicyclist is wearing a helmet, head and brain injuries such as skull fractures, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, or intracranial hemorrhaging can occur. Brain damage-inducing injuries can change somebody’s life permanently, altering someone’s vision, hearing, mobility, reasoning, concentration, memory, and other functions.
- Internal organ damage: When a motorist strikes a biker, the impact can create complications in the pancreas, lungs, or spleen which can result in life-threatening injuries calling for immediate medical attention.
- Broken bones: Broken or crushed bones are an extremely common result of such crashes. When this occurs, surgery may be necessary to repair the damage, and the victim can be looking at months of physical therapy and recuperation down the line.
- Skin and soft tissue injuries: Permanent scarring and disfigurement are the unfortunate result of bike accidents involving serious bruises, lacerations, and road rash. Moreover, even after such injuries heal, there may be scar tissue remaining in the tendons, muscles, and ligaments that result in chronic pain and end up limiting the victim’s mobility.
- Death: In the worst cases, bicyclists are killed. In fact, hundreds of bike riders die in preventable collisions with motor vehicles every year.
Contact Us Today
If you or a loved one was struck by a negligent motorist while bicycling, you may be able to seek compensation for your lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. Having an experienced bicycle accident attorney on your side will help you get the compensation you are legally entitled to so you can recuperate from your injuries. Call BCN Law Firm to schedule a consultation today.