Motorcyclists get to enjoy the feeling of the open air, but that freedom also leaves them much more vulnerable to the mistakes of other motorists. When careless drivers cause California motorcycle accidents, the rider is also more vulnerable to chest injuries, including a painful collarbone fracture.
A broken collarbone can leave motorcyclists unable to grip handlebars without pain for weeks or months. Victims may also be left without the ability to perform their job duties. Injured riders will need financial support and could need the help of a California motorcycle accident lawyer to hold a car insurance company fully liable.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney
When a driver’s carelessness is responsible for your collarbone injury, you’ll only have one chance to secure the compensation you’ll need to recover physically and financially. You must handle your motorcycle accident injury claim correctly, or you could leave yourself without support when you require additional surgeries or physical therapy in the future.
To discuss how much your collarbone injury is worth and how to hold a car insurance company accountable, schedule a free consultation with a California Motorcycle Accident Broken Bone Lawyer.
Broken Collarbone Dangers in California Motorcycle Accidents
Riders who use California’s freeways and boulevards know very well how easily a driver’s mistake can put them in danger. Motorists rarely look hard enough in their mirrors and even right in front of them for approaching motorcyclists. Drivers can make moves that send riders to the pavement and put the bones in the chest at risk of splintering.
Everyone has two collarbones, also known as clavicles. These slender s-shaped bones extend across both sides of the upper chest and connect the sternum with the shoulder joint.
Johns Hopkins Medicine details how the collarbone is one of the most frequently broken bones in the human body. It’s a common injury for motorcyclists and bicyclists in accidents. Clavicles usually break in the middle of the bone, between the sternum (breastbone) and the AC Joint in the shoulder.
Symptoms of a clavicle fracture include severe pain, swelling in the upper chest, and sometimes visible deformity on the outside of the body where the bone is left out of place. Recovery can take weeks or months and chest injuries can lead to a disability when a collarbone injury permanently restricts movement in the patient’s chest or arms.
A California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer demands support for clients for their current hardships, but they also factor in the difficulties that may arise down the road. A motorcycle accident settlement needs to include money for all medical care expected to be necessary in the future.
Prognosis for Motorcycle Accident Clavicle Fracture Patients
Victims with collarbone fractures will likely be rushed to a California emergency room to have their fracture X-Rayed. Patients with a normal break, will often be put in a sling and sent home. Healing can take up to three months, but pain and restricted motion could linger for longer.
These restrictions can keep injured riders off their motorcycles for longer. Physical therapy may help rebuild strength in the chest, arms, and shoulders.
Complications only increase the physical risks and the financial obligations patients will find themselves under. If a collarbone breaks into several pieces or a piece of bone is moved far out of line, surgery will be necessary.
Screws and metal pins are often used to secure the bone in place so it can heal. A clavicle injury requiring surgery could cost families $10,000 or more.
Compensation Available After a Motorcycle Accident Collarbone Injury
Your motorcycle accident lawyer will be investigating your accident and the driver responsible. Once all evidence has been collected and a strong case is in place, your lawyer will file your injury claim with the at-fault driver’s car insurance company.
This claim must include a full list of every hardship the victim has suffered while healing.
These and other damages can all earn support in the form of a motorcycle accident injury settlement check:
- Actual Damages: You’ll be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses such as medical expenses and property damage. Your lawyer also seeks support to make sure you don’t face debt from medical procedures expected to be needed in the future. The wages and benefits you lose while out of work must be reimbursed.
- General Damages: Payment for non-monetary losses such as the pain you experience and may continue to experience in the form of chronic pain and arthritis. Your mental trauma caused by an accident and a long recovery should also receive support. The anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms you experience should receive additional compensation. The loss of enjoyment of life while you can’t return to your motorcycle rides and while you can’t participate in family activities should add to your settlement award.
- Punitive Damages: These apply in certain cases only. These damages are not designed to compensate the plaintiff for losses, but rather to punish an at-fault driver for egregious, intentional, or particularly harmful conduct. However, the victim still receives the money paid by the at-fault driver.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file an injury claim over my motorcycle collarbone injury?
Two years. You are allowed to wait up to two years after your accident to file a claim. However, you should act quickly to give your lawyer the best chance to secure fresh evidence and track down witnesses.
What if I can’t afford a California motorcycle accident lawyer?
You can still secure quality legal representation. You don’t owe Maison Law anything unless we win your injury claim for you. Then, our fee comes out of the settlement you receive.
What if my motorcycle accident was caused by a driver without insurance?
You can still seek full support for your collision injury. You would file a claim using your own motorcycle insurance policy’s uninsured motorist coverage. You could expect money to pay hospital bills and replace lost wages.
Contact a California Motorcycle Accident Broken Collar Bone Injury Lawyer
After you or a loved one suffers a collarbone injury due to a careless driver’s mistake, speak with a skilled, local attorney about the benefits available to you and your family. A California motorcycle broken bone injury attorney will go over your options, including the rights you have that an insurance adjuster won’t be telling you about.
Contact Maison Law of California for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your bicycle accident injury is worth and what you should demand from an insurance company.
