Year-round sunny weather and endless blue skies make Louisiana a biker’s paradise. Baton Rouge and New Orleans are steeped in history, with many cultural landmarks to visit, from Civil War sites to artisan eateries. But while it boasts hundreds of miles of terrain to explore, Louisiana is known to have some of the worst road conditions in the United States, making it dangerous for motorcyclists.
In Louisiana, the federal government reported that the number of fatal motorcycle accidents was almost 29 times higher than the number of fatal car crashes, despite significantly fewer motorcycles on the road. While strict motorcycle helmet laws help prevent death and brain injuries, there were 1,543 reported motorcycle crashes in Louisiana in 2020, resulting in a range of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to death.
Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may be sore after a motorcycle accident for as little as a few hours, or you may not experience any discomfort at all. However, a catastrophic accident may cause a permanent disability, disfigurement, and chronic pain. So how long you will be sore or in pain after a motorcycle crash depends on what type of injury you have.
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, seek medical care immediately. Even minor injuries may be worse than they initially seem and must be addressed by a licensed healthcare professional. Without immediate treatment, your injury could worsen, and if you decide to take legal action, waiting too long to see a doctor can cast doubt on your insurance claim.
Common Types of Motorcycle Injuries
While some motorcycle crash victims escape with superficial injuries, like bruises or scratches, others suffer more significant damage. Common non-fatal types of motorcycle injuries include:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A TBI is an extremely serious injury that can result in permanent physical and cognitive harm. While helmets can reduce the effects of head trauma, this type of injury is common due to the force of impact in a motorcycle crash.
Road Rash
Road rash occurs as a result of the skin coming in contact with the surface of the road at high speed. Riders most frequently experience road rash to the legs, arms, back, and midsection as these areas are most likely to drag along the road if the occupant is thrown from the bike.
Severe road rash requires skin grafts and may lead to permanent scarring. It is prone to infection and may take several months to heal fully. Minor road rash usually heals within two weeks.
Fractured or Broken Bones
Broken bones are common in accidents where motorcyclists fall off their bikes. Collar bones, wrists, arms, and finger fractures are the most common as riders instinctually try to break their fall using their arms.
Most fractures heal in approximately four to six weeks. However, compound fractures or breaks to major bones, such as the tibia, can take much longer to heal. Breaks that require surgery can cause discomfort for months or years following a crash.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries from motorcycle crashes can cause paralysis. In other cases, they may lead to chronic pain that lasts months, years, or a lifetime. This can severely impact victims’ quality of life.
Internal Bleeding
Even low-speed crashes generate heavy impact as vehicles collide with each other or static objects along the road. Such forceful collisions can cause victims to suffer organ damage and internal bleeding. This type of injury is particularly dangerous as it may not be detected straight away, leading to much more severe damage.
Depending on how severe internal injuries are, the consequences can vary. If left untreated, internal bleeding can cause organ failure, coma, and even death.
What to if You’ve Been in a Motorcycle Accident
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident in Louisiana, your first course of action should be to seek medical attention. A thorough assessment from a medical professional can determine the extent of your injuries, including how severely you’ve been injured and how long it may take you to recover.
This also helps if you determine if you need to pursue legal action through a Baton Rouge motorcycle injury lawyer. Written documentation from a doctor concerning your injuries proves that you’ve endured suffering as a result of the accident.
The next step is to hire legal representation from Dudley DeBosier. We understand the time and money it costs to recuperate after a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault. And the longer it takes you to recover, the more compensation you deserve.
At Dudley DeBosier, we help you fight for the compensation you deserve, ensuring you are covered for past and future medical costs, loss of income, pain, mental anguish, and any other mental or physical consequences of your crash. We offer a no-fee guarantee, so you only need to pay if we win your case.
Contact Dudley DeBosier to arrange your free consultation to discuss your legal options following a motorcycle crash.