Did you know that motorcycles account for six percent of all registered vehicles in Florida? That doesn’t seem like much until you compare that to the national average of two percent. In 2002, 339,488 motorcycles were registered in the state of Florida. Since then, the numbers have increased to 582,740 in 2006 and 982,850 in 2008.

 

Sadly, motorcyclists are six times more likely to die than automobile drivers in the state of Florida. Although there aren’t as many motorcycles on the road as there are cars, fatal motorcycle accidents account for over five percent of all fatal highway crashes each year.

 

The reports and stories we hear in the news generally focus on just that—fatal motorcycle accidents in Florida. However, the most injured parts of a biker’s body are the legs, arms and head. These injuries can be classified as upper extremity injuries and lower extremity injuries.

 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2008, the most common non-fatal injuries motorcyclists suffer and are treated for in emergency rooms are lower extremity injuries.

 

Lower Extremity Injuries include:

 

  • Leg fractures
  • Ankle injuries
  • Feet injuries
  • Knee injuries
  • Thigh injuries
  • Hip fractures
  • Pelvis fractures

 

Although the most commonly reported lower extremity injuries treated in trauma centers are bone fractures, serious upper extremity injuries also occur in Sarasota motorcycle crashes.

 

Upper Extremity Injuries include:

  • Head injuries
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Chest injuries
  • Abdominal injuries

 

The study conducted by the NHTSA indicates that the reason why the majority of non-fatal motorcycle crashes affects lower extremities more than upper extremities is due to the proximity of the motorcyclist’s feet to the ground.

 

If You Suffered a Lower Extremity Injury in a Sarasota Motorcycle Accident

 

If your ankles, feet, legs, knees, hips or thighs were injured in the crash, you may require six months or more of physical therapy and rehabilitation before you can function as you did prior to the wreck. This may mean that you can’t transport yourself anywhere if you can’t ride your motorcycle and you may not be able to work until you fully heal.

 

Because medical bills can pile up fast, and because you may not be working due to your injury, you need as much compensation as you can get. Talk to a skilled Sarasota motorcycle accident lawyer at Mallard Perez today for a free, no-obligation consultation at (888) 409-3805.  You can also receive a free copy of our book, The Florida Accident Handbook: What You Need to Know After a Florida Auto, Truck or Bike Accident, upon request.

 

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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Board Certified Sarasota Personal Injury Attorney