While all motor vehicle crashes are bad, those involving motorcycles can be particularly devastating. The differences between motorcycle and car accidents stem from the vehicles themselves—cars have more protections and safety features than motorcycles. This will often lead to worse injuries for a motorcyclist.
Vehicle Protections
Motorcycles lack the protection of cars, since they have no seatbelts, airbags, or crumple zones like cars do. South Carolina also does not have a helmet law. Therefore, a motorcyclist who is legally riding their bike could easily be catastrophically injured by being hit, even with little force. Without the inherent safety guards of cars, an accident that would have been a fender bender with two cars could instead turn deadly.
Head Trauma
If someone who is hurt in a motorcycle collision calls a lawyer, their injuries are probably severe. The most common type of injury is severe traumatic brain injury, or TBI, because even if the rider has a helmet on, they lack all the protections that come with a car. Unfortunately, since South Carolina does not require motorcyclists to wear helmets, if a person is thrown off their bike, they are likely to take a great deal of head damage. People who suffer traumatic brain injuries could struggle to live a normal life. They might have problems walking, talking, or working.
Other Injuries
Other common injuries that lawyers see after motorcycle accidents include:
- Road rash
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Severe burns
If the driver of larger vehicle is at fault, as they often are, someone injured in a motorcycle wreck could work with an attorney to recover compensation for their losses. Reach out to Christmas Injury lawyers today and learn what might be possible in your personal injury case.
