Most motorcycle riders understand the dangers that they inherently face on two wheels. While these individuals can take every precaution possible to ensure their safety on the road, the negligence of other drivers can cause the worst to happen.
Many riders fail to realize how detrimental injuries sustained in motorcycle crashes can be to their careers. The physical and emotional injuries you endure may derail the career you had going. Below, we discuss common motorcycle accident injuries and how these can impact your current and future employment.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Because of a lack of physical protection around motorcycle riders, they typically sustain more severe injuries than those involved in regular car accidents. In fact, about 80% of motorcycle crashes result in serious injuries and can impact a person’s life forever.
Some of the most common serious injuries associated with motorcycle accidents include:
Broken Extremities. People break bones every day in accidents that don’t involve motorcycles. However, a motorcycle crash can throw a rider off their bike dozens of feet through the air and cause multiple fractures throughout the body.
Brain Injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most severe injuries that the human body can withstand, and some can even be fatal.
Spinal Injuries. These can range in severity, with the most extreme cases causing paralysis.
Disfigurement. Amputations and loss of limbs can be the result of motorcycle accidents. Road rash is very common and can lead to extreme scarring and infections.
Impact on Your Job
There are multiple ways that a motorcycle accident can impact your career. You may be put out of work for some period of time, causing you to lose out on income. If and when you are able to start working again, you may not be able to do the same job that you did prior to the accident. This may cause you to lose out on a promotion or it may prevent you from applying to certain jobs.
You may also need time to heal emotionally after your accident, which may cause you to lose out on even more income. As we discussed earlier, motorcycle accidents may cause scarring or disfigurement, which can be devastating and prevent individuals from returning to work.
Your motorcycle accident attorney can help you pursue compensation for loss of income. This would include past, present, and future lost income, loss of earning capacity, and loss of household income when all factors are taken into consideration.
Emotional Injuries and Your Job
Motorcycle accidents can be extremely traumatic and frightening experiences for riders. In addition to physical injuries, these individuals may also suffer from mental anguish and emotional distress following the event.
Injury victims may even develop post-traumatic stress disorder, something we know affects 9% of car accident victims. Because of the traumatic nature of motorcycle accidents, this number is most likely much higher for accident victims. This may prevent the person from living the life that they did prior to the accident. They may have panic attacks or flashbacks when they leave their homes.
If this is the case, your personal injury attorney can help you pursue compensation for non-economic damages. These damages are meant to compensate a person for any mental anguish caused by the negligence of another person. In Illinois, there are no caps on non-economic damages, so the jury or judge will decide how much you will be awarded based on the evidence your attorney presents.
Pursuing Compensation for Your Injuries
We understand just how a motorcycle accident injury can turn your whole world upside down. The career you worked so hard to build up could be derailed because of one event. As avid motorcycle riders ourselves, the attorneys at McNabola & Associates are committed to ensuring that individuals injured in motorcycle crashes receive the financial recovery that they need to get back on their feet.
We will ensure your story is heard and negligent parties are held accountable for their actions. For help pursuing your motorcycle accident case, don’t hesitate to contact McNabola & Associates at (312) 888-8700 for compassionate and effective legal representation.