Getting Medical Treatment After a Motorcycle Crash
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that 88,000 motorcyclists were injured in 2015, highlighting the serious dangers of being on a bike that are present across U.S. roadways.
When the devastating event of a motorcycle accident happens, there are many different things to worry about in the immediate moments following the crash. It can be difficult as an accident victim and particularly one who may be suffering from serious injuries to figure out what to do next. However, realizing that you need to get medical treatment immediately could make a huge impact on your ability to recover from your injuries as well as in your personal injury case.
I Feel Fine: Do I Really Need to Get Medical Help?
Some of the injuries associated with motorcycle accidents are not readily apparent. These include spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. The shock and adrenaline coursing through your system immediately after a motorcycle crash can shield you from understanding the true depth of your pain and injuries. If this applies to your individual case, it is crucial that you understand the benefit of attending all of your follow-up appointments and continue to discuss your options with your physician.
How Immediate Medical Attention Focuses Your Treatment Plan and Goals
Getting the treatment immediately, can identify some of the causes of your pain and allow a doctor to put together a treatment plan to help you recover from these critical injuries. If you fail to get medical treatment, you could allow your symptoms or overall conditions to get worse or decrease your ability to recover in full. Furthermore, this can prove problematic if you need to file an injury claim as a result of someone else’s negligence or reckless behavior causing the accident.
When you get medical treatment immediately and continue to follow-up with all of your doctor's appointments, this shows the insurance companies as well as the other drivers involved that you are serious about the injuries you have sustained and you will not hesitate to continue to follow-up as much as necessary. Being injured in a motorcycle accident has the potential to turn your life upside down. You may be unable to get through a single day without pain or significant amounts of medication, and you may never be able to return to work fully.
Even when you do reach maximum medical improvement or the state at which doctors no longer expect you to recover any further, you may be still be suffering on a regular basis.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Some of the most common motorcycle accident injuries include:
- Road rash
- Head injury
- Muscle damage
- Leg injury
- Biker’s arm
Since motorcycle riders do not have the protections afforded to someone inside a vehicle, such as seatbelts and airbags, the injuries sustained by a bike rider in a crash can be catastrophic. Paralysis, spinal cord injuries, TBIs and more are some of the more devastating injuries affecting motorcycle riders.
Getting medical treatment allows you to share your symptoms with the doctor and to have him or her to check you out in full to identify whether or not there are more serious problems involved. Continuing to follow-up on your treatment gives you the best possible chance to recover fully from your injuries.