Motorcyclists enjoying rides through any area of California must always be aware of the dangers that careless drivers pose. A distracted driver can miss spotting the smaller profile of a rider and proceed as if the motorcycle isn’t there. This carelessness can lead to dangerous rear-end collisions, side-swipe impacts, and head-on crashes.
Riders might be left with life-altering vertebrae injuries as they suffer a blow from the vehicle and the road surface. Incapacitated motorcyclists often have to trust California motorcycle accident lawyers to fight insurance companies for what’s fair in a motorcycle accident injury settlement.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney
When a driver’s carelessness is responsible for any back or vertebrae injury, you’ll only have one chance to secure the compensation you’ll need to recover physically and financially. You are encouraged to file a motorcycle accident claim against the at-fault motorist’s insurance company as soon as your case is ready.
To discuss how much your motorcycle injury is worth and how to hold a car insurance company fully liable, schedule a free consultation with a California Motorcycle Accident Traumatic Injury Lawyer.
There’s no obligation, but if you decide we can help you get the most out of your injury claim, you won’t need any upfront money. Our California motorcycle accident broken vertebrae lawyers don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Once your case is won, our fee comes out of the award you receive.
Vertebrae Fracture Dangers in California Motorcycle Collisions
The vertebrae are the bones that protect the spine and other nerves from the neck down to the pelvis. An injury can cause extreme back pain and severe wounds might even sever the spinal cord and cause a permanent loss of mobility.
The Cleveland Clinic explains how broken vertebrae, or a broken back, is a fracture to any of the 33 bones that usually make up the spinal column. This damage can occur to bones that are weakened because of age. Fully healthy victims could also experience a backbone fracture in the force of a car accident along a busy freeway like I-5 or Highway 99.
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic say that these types of vertebrae injuries are most common:
- Compression fractures: This is a small break in vertebrae that can be very painful and limit your motion.
- Burst fractures: The back and spine are suddenly compressed in the force of a car crash. The vertebra breaks or is crushed into several pieces.
- Chance fractures: This is the opposite of the burst fracture and occurs when vertebrae are pulled apart to cause injuries. These breaks commonly occur in traffic accidents when the victim’s lower body is held by a seatbelt, but the upper body is flung forward. This motion stretches vertebrae beyond what they can endure.
Vertebrae injuries can also involve the nerves, tendons, and soft tissue in and around the backbone. These wounds can also be very painful and slow to heal.
Motorcycle Accident Vertebrae Injury Treatment
A vertebrae fracture won’t always require surgery. Some patients are put into braces to hold the back steady while vertebrae cracks are allowed to heal on their own. Victims may be in a brace for a few months and have a limited range of motion as they heal. During this process, expensive physical therapy sessions may be necessary to restore flexibility and strength to the back.
In more serious cases, multiple surgeries could be necessary to get motorcyclists back to the point where they can get back on a motorcycle again. These surgeries and rehabilitations can easily pile up tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills.
And in tragic cases, some victims never regain full mobility and must cope with a permanent disability. Home care and physical therapy for patients over a lifetime can cost millions.
A skilled California motorcycle accident lawyer safeguards riders and their families after a serious collision. Victims can sign off on the first settlement offer they receive from a car insurance company, but not realize that the true expense of their injury hasn’t been totaled yet. A lawyer makes sure victims have what they need in support for as long as recovery takes, even if that’s over a lifetime.
Compensation for Motorcycle Accident Fractured Vertebrae Victims
Your motorcycle accident attorney will be compiling a list of every hardship you’ve suffered and may suffer in the future. It’s critical to get this list completely filled out before filing a claim. A list that leaves some of your damages off could leave you paying for some care out of your own pocket once a “lowball” settlement runs out.
Your lawyer won’t let this happen. You will know what your injury is really worth and your attorney will be fighting with insurance companies to earn that full amount for your family.
A claim for damages should include a thorough list of these economic and non-economic hardships:
- All costs for medical care, medical equipment, and physical therapy.
- Future medical costs associated with a permanent physical disability or long-term injury.
- Compensation for the physical pain endured with a serious back injury. The chronic pain that might return throughout the victim’s life should also be considered when determining the size of a motorcycle accident settlement check.
- Compensation for the emotional trauma motorcyclists suffer in accidents. This can include the anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms experienced. Victims may have a difficult time getting back out on the open road.
- Money for the transportation costs of going back and forth from doctor and surgeon visits while on crutches or in a wheelchair.
- Earnings and benefits victims have lost from missing work. The loss of the ability to support your family if you are out of work for months or years.
- Money for a new motorcycle and equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have after a motorcycle accident in California to file an injury claim?
Two years. But acting quickly can make it easier to secure fresh evidence and witness testimony to build a strong case that a car insurance adjuster can reject.
What if I can’t afford a lawyer after a California Motorcycle accident?
Anyone can afford to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer at Maison Law. We don’t charge anything unless we win your case for you. Then our payment comes from the settlement award you receive from an insurance company.
Should I speak with the driver’s car insurance company after an accident?
The at-fault driver’s insurance rep will call you after a crash. Only give them basic information. They’ll hope to get you to give a recorded statement about what happened. Refuse. They hope you’ll say something that will hurt your claim.
Contact a California Motorcycle Accident Vertebrae Fracture Lawyer
If you or a loved one suffer a back or spine injury due to a careless driver’s mistake, bring your case to a California Motorcycle Traumatic Injury Attorney as soon as you can. Take advantage of a case review with a real lawyer before talking with a driver’s insurance representative.
Contact Maison Law of California for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your motorcycle accident injury is worth and what you should demand from an insurance company. Don’t depend on an insurance adjuster to tell you about every benefit available to you and your family.
