Bicycle Accident Injuries

 Posted on June 16, 2016 in Personal Injury

Despite taking all necessary precautions, many cyclists are tragically injured in collisions involving another vehicle. These types of bicycle accidents can result in severe and often permanent or life-threatening injuries.

Common Injuries

The type and seriousness of the injuries sustained by a cyclist depends largely on a series of factors, including:

• Whether the cyclist was wearing a helmet;
• The speed of the parties involved;
• Whether motor vehicles were involved;
• The type of impact; and
• The condition of the road or trail where the accident occurred.

While they are no guarantee of safety, wearing a helmet can significantly decrease a cyclist’s chances of sustaining a head or brain injury in an accident.

Because cyclists are so vulnerable to injury, especially when an accident involves a collision with a vehicle, the injuries sustained in bicycle accidents are often severe and even life-threatening. Some of the most common injuries sustained by cyclists include:

• Broken bones, especially arms and wrists;
• Scrapes, lacerations, and road rash;
• Traumatic brain injury;
• Spinal cord damage;
• Paralysis;
• Nerve damage;
• Joint dislocation;
• Facial injuries, such as a broken nose or jaw, chipped teeth, and scarring;
• Head and neck injuries; and
• Death.

Symptoms

While some lucky cyclists may think that they do not need emergency care after an accident, there is a good chance that they sustained head trauma or a fractured bone. After an accident, cyclists should keep an eye out for the following symptoms:

• Confusion;
• Dizziness;
• Double vision;
• Severe headache;
• Extreme fatigue;
• Neck or back pain; and
• Unusual swelling.

If left untreated, injuries that present these types of symptoms may prove deadly. For instance, headaches and double vision may represent a hematoma, or bleeding in the brain, while persistent neck or back pain may be indicative of a fracture or herniated disc.

Damages

Depending on the severity of the injury, cyclists may be forced to undergo painful surgeries and rehabilitative treatments. Many require physical therapy and months of forced immobility while bones knit and heal. These treatments are expensive and can quickly overwhelm a victim’s finances.

Fortunately, if the injured party can establish that the accident was caused by another person’s negligence, he or she may be able to obtain compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. While a victim’s health may never be fully restored, obtaining compensation for the losses associated with the accident is an important step on the road to recovery.

Bicycle accidents often result in serious and even deadly injuries for cyclists. Treating such injuries can be prohibitively expensive and require months of time off work and painful surgeries and therapies, so if you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident caused by another driver’s negligence or violation of a statute, please contact the experienced DuPage County bicycle accident injury lawyers at Martoccio & Martoccio. Call 630-920-8855 for a free consultation today.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/bicycle/

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000028.htm