A motorcycle rider in Charlotte has to be very careful. We have many other vehicles on the roads, roads under repair, tricky weather, you name it. Motorcycle wrecks and injuries are common, and in fact, some types of injuries are common, read on to learn what injuries are fairly routine for motorcycle wrecks.

I have represented injured Charlotte motorcyclists since 1993; that’s twenty-eight years. I have handled all kinds of horrible accidents and injuries, including death. That said, some types of injuries are just common due to the nature of a motorcycle. It is essential to remember Newton’s law. It is not the fall that hurts. It is the landing or, to put it another way, not the movement as it is the stopping that hurts. Head injuries are common. In a car, you have a headrest, airbags, and a seat belt that limit the impacts your head might experience and cushion the blows. You see more neck injuries than head injuries in cars. On the motorcycle, you lose all those protective measures for your head movements and impacts. Helmets go a long way in reducing significant head injuries, but they aren’t perfect. Your head may still come to an immediate stop, but the helmet’s cushion and the outer shell provide some protection for your head. Road rash is widespread. When you slide along pavement, you very quickly find your exposed areas getting scraped. If you have on nonprotective clothing, you find out very quickly why they recommend certain materials for riders. Broken bones and ligament and tendon injuries are also common. Bruising in places you didn’t think you could bruise is not uncommon. Internal organ injuries happen, and in some instances, you don’t even know you have suffered such an injury until hours later. Psychological injuries are also frequent. PTSD after a major wreck is expected.

Let’s say you are coming up South Blvd. in the South End area. A car coming in the other direction turns left in front of you onto Worthington Ave. next to the Dunkin Donuts. You are riding your HD Road Glide and wearing boots, jeans, a leather coat, and a full-face helmet. Your bike hits the middle of the passenger car door. The back of the bike goes up, and you go up and over the handlebars. Likely, you have not yet suffered injuries. You may have hit the gas tank with your crotch, you may have caught your chest on your windshield, but you may have just flown over them as well. You are now flying over the top of the car, if you’re lucky. If you are not lucky, you hit the car’s roof/door/window and stopped. If you stopped, you probably hit your head on the top and your body on the side. You don’t have road rash, but you have head, neck, shoulder, chest, hip, and leg and injuries. You will have hematomas (bruising), broken bones, and likely organ damage. You may be dead.

If you’re lucky, you land on the other side of the car and don’t hit anything but the ground and roll. Your jeans rip, and you have road rash on your legs. Your head hits the ground, but the helmet left you with a concussion, not brain damage. You probably have some broken bones, may need some stitches but remember, I am now describing the “lucky” fact pattern. Mentally, you will suffer and may or may not ride again due to the fear that it was all out of your control.

So the answer to the question is all types of injuries are common in Charlotte motorcycle wrecks. So many factors can cause a wreck the damages are endless. I think the better answer is not what type of injuries but instead, yes, if you are in a motorcycle wreck you are likely injured. If you are in a wreck and uninjured, count your blessings. If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact your Charlotte motorcycle accident lawyers to help fight for your rights.