The force and impact of a motorcycle crash can damage any part of your body. Simply stated, there is no such thing as a minor motorcycle accident injury.
One of the most common injuries in a motorcycle crash is to your upper extremities, including your hands, arms or wrist. These injuries may never fully heal, causing you significant financial costs and discomfort.
You may be entitled to financial compensation for your motorcycle accident injuries. Call the Sevenish Law Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation with an Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyer, from whom you can learn about your potential legal remedies.
How Do Injuries to the Arms Happen in a Motorcycle Crash?
The most common causes of motorcycle accidents, arm, hand and wrist injuries are high side accidents and collisions. In a high side accident, the rider is thrown from their bike over the handlebars. The injury could be caused by the force of the accident transferred to their arms or hands or the impact with the ground.
Roughly one-third of motorcycle accidents will result in upper extremity injuries. 5-10% of upper extremity injuries will involve wrist fractures. Another study found that 10% of motorcycle accident injury patients will suffer a fracture of the radius/ulna, and 3% will suffer a fracture of the humerus.
Common Causes of Hand, Arm or Wrist Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists can injure their hands, arms and wrists in an accident in a number of ways, including:
- The motorcyclist may grip the handlebars harder in anticipation of a crash. Then, the impact of the crash would be absorbed by the hands and wrists.
- The biker may try to break their fall using their hands out of instinct, causing a severe fracture.
- The sudden jolt of an accident may cause serious soft tissue damage
- The hands may become trapped underneath the bike in an accident
- The hands may come into contact with extremely hot metal or burning fuel
Common Hand, Arm or Wrist Injuries
Common motorcycle accident injuries to the arms, hands and wrists are:
- Fractures
- Biker’s arm (damage to the nerves in the upper arm when the rider tries to use their hands to soften the fall
- Burns (whether they are from coming into contact with something hot or road rash)
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Torn ligaments and tendons
- Motorcycle thumb
- Dislocated wrists
What is a biker’s arm?
Biker’s arm is one of the most common motorcycle accident injuries. The rider could land on their arm in the crash, or the motorcycle itself could fall on the arm. The end result is serious nerve damage that could be permanent.
Biker’s arm could impact these nerves:
- The radial nerve, which is found in the back of the triceps and regulates movement in the hands and fingers.
- The median nerve, which is located in the forearm, and controls signals that are sent to your palm.
- The ulnar nerve, which is behind the elbow and also controls movement in the fingers.
What is a motorcycle thumb?
Motorcycle thumb is another injury that results from how the rider will brace themselves for the crash. The driver will grip the handlebars tightly, steeling themselves for the crash that is about to happen. The force from the accident is then directed into the palm and metacarpal base.
Motorcycle thumb can damage the:
- Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint
- Thumb ulnar collateral ligament
Ligament damage can be long-term injuries that may never fully heal, even with one or more surgical procedures. There are almost always some residual impacts of these injuries.
Long-Term Consequences of Hand, Arm or Wrist Injuries
Even if the short-term injury partially heals, the rider may be left with long-term consequences.
For insurance, if you suffered ligament damage, you could end up with arthritis. Then, you could suffer from permanent symptoms, such as:
- Loss of range of motion in the arms and hands
- Permanent nerve damage and numbness
- Loss of strength in the arms and hands
Treatment for Motorcycle Accident Injuries to the Hand
If you suffered a severe short-term injury to your hands or arms, you would likely need at least one surgical procedure. You may need an initial procedure to stabilize what has been broken, followed by follow-up surgeries to repair the damage.
If you sustained burns, you may need one or more skin grafts to repair the damage. Treating burns is a complex and difficult process.
Depending on the scope and extent of your injuries, you may also need long-term rehabilitation and treatment. When the arms or hands are involved, you could need both physical and occupational therapy. You would need to rebuild strength and dexterity in your hands and wrists.
It is essential that you follow through on your post-accident treatment. The insurance company will be reviewing your records to verify that you are taking care of things from your own end.
They may even try to reduce your financial recovery if they claim that your own inactivity was partially the cause of your injuries.
Dealing With the Impacts of Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Treatment for these motorcycle accident injuries can be expensive and time-consuming. First, you would need to incur expenses for the medical bills themselves. Second, time missed from work to attend therapy sessions can also cost you money.
You may never be the same after a motorcycle accident injury to your hand or wrist. You may not be able to do the physical work that you did before the injury. In addition, you could also be in continuous discomfort for the rest of your life.
The good news is that you could make the responsible party pay for your injuries if you can prove that they were at fault. First, you should hire an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to represent you in the claims process.
Contact an Indianapolis Attorney for Motorcycle Hand Injuries
Long-term motorcycle accident injuries to the arms and hands could lead to a higher settlement check. The Sevenish Law Firm can help you by gathering evidence about your motorcycle accident and estimating your damages in full. Get us on your legal case today by scheduling a free initial consultation. You can send us a message online, or you can call us today at 317-720-3229.
