Burn Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Burn Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles have been a popular motor vehicle in the United States for decades. For some people, it might be the freedom of the wind going through their hair. Others may just like the open style that contrasts with the metal frame of a traditional car. Regardless of the reason, millions of people enjoy motorcycles on a daily basis. On the other hand, riding a motorcycle also comes with tremendous risk. Several factors make the risk of traumatic injuries high when riding a motorcycle, which includes:

• The two-wheeled design means that the bike is easier to flip, roll, or lay down.
• The lack of a metal frame means that people have no protection between themselves and the road.
• The open design of the motorcycle removes any protection from the elements, including heat, cold, wind, rain, and snow.

Without a doubt, these are only some of the factors that are in play when a motorcycle accident happens. However, these factors, when combined with human error, help to explain some of the statistics related to motorcycle accidents. According to information published by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration:

• In 2013, there were more than 4,000 people killed while riding a motorcycle.
• In this same year, 88,000 people sustained injuries while riding a motorcycle.
• Motorcyclists were responsible for close to 15 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2015.

These numbers demonstrate just how dangerous motorcycles can be. If someone is involved in an accident, there are a variety of injuries that people might suffer. One of the injuries that is often overlooked involves burns.

Serious Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents: Injury Types and Factors

There are many reasons that someone could be involved in a motorcycle accident. Among these are speeding, intoxication, weather, and manufacturing issues. Some of the statistics published in 2015 by the Department of Transportation include:

• 25 percent of people who were involved in a motorcycle accident did not have a valid license to operate their vehicle.
• 27 percent of individuals involved in motorcycle accidents had alcohol in their bloodstream.
• Over 700 deaths could have been prevented in those motorcycle riders were wearing a helmet.

It is factors such as these that contribute to the high rate of injuries seen in motorcycle riders. Some of the most common injuries that motorcycle riders sustain include:

• Bone fractures, such as the femur, radius, and ulna injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries, especially if a helmet isn’t being worn
• Degloving injuries of the extremities
• Burn injuries

These burn injuries can be particularly severe and might leave people with lifelong disabilities. It is important to understand these burn injuries, where they come from, and why they happen so that people know what to do in this situation

Motorcycle Injuries: Burn Injuries are Severe

There are two different ways that someone can sustain a burn injury in a motorcycle accident. These are:

• Road Rash: The first type of burn doesn't come from a flame but from road rash. This is a burn because the appearance, treatment, and impact of this burn versus a flame burn are similar. When riders crash their motorcycle, they skid across the road at high speed. When this happens, their skin sticks to the pavement and is ripped from their body. This removal of skin is called road rash and is similar to the burn that people experience from an open flame.
• Burns from Fires: The other type of burn injury comes from explosions that happen in motorcycle accidents. These are more likely to occur if someone is involved in a motorcycle accident with a car or a bus. People who sustain burns in this fashion could even sustain third-degree burns, which extend all the way down to the bone and muscle underneath the skin.

If someone sustains a serious burn injury in an accident, they need to receive treatment right away. Without the protective covering of the skin, people's bodies are exposed to infection. The body is already in a compromised state due to severe traumatic injuries. If an infection sets in, sepsis, septic shock, and death could follow closely behind.

Burns are only one category of the myriad of injuries that someone could sustain in a motorcycle accident. The risks are real, and some of these injuries could even result in death. When someone sustains injuries in a motorcycle accident, it is a good idea to meet with a compassionate motorcycle accident lawyer in Sacramento. The accident should be investigated because you and your family might be deserving of financial compensation.

Image Attribution: The image seen above was found on Pixabay and is shown here with permission from the CC0 Creative Commons License.
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