What is the Major Cause of Death in Motorcycle Accidents?
Motorcycle accidents can result in serious and even life-threatening injury. In North Carolina, 183 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in 2019, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). You might be wondering, “What is the major cause of death in motorcycle accidents?”
The major causes of death in motorcycle accidents are head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Motorcycle crashes often result in serious head injuries, even if a rider is wearing a helmet (as is required in the state of North Carolina). Many of these head injuries result in bleeding in the brain, which is particularly dangerous as it cannot be treated on the scene by emergency responders. Brain bleeds require advanced technology to diagnose and can quickly become fatal.
Serious head injuries often result in traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is damage to the brain that is caused by a trauma such as a motorcycle accident.
IMPORTANT: If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, seek immediate medical assistance. Head and brain injuries can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening, and diagnosis often requires advanced imaging.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation and we would love to help however we can — call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your claim.
There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless you do — if we don’t recover compensation for you, you won’t pay any attorney fees.
Please call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your injury claim.
Head Injuries and Traumatic Brain Injuries Caused by Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents can cause many different types of head injuries and traumatic brain injuries, including:
- Skull Fractures — This occurs when the bone surrounding the brain cracks due to force. Skull fractures can range in severity, with the more serious fractures sometimes resulting in brain damage or even death.
- Hemorrhage — This is a type of bleeding in or around the brain, which occurs due to burst blood vessels resulting from an impact. It can result in brain damage or death, and surgery is sometimes needed to address it.
- Cerebral Oedema — Also known as “brain swelling,” cerebral oedema occus when there is a buildup of fluids in the brain, often resulting in intracranial pressure which can restrict blood flow to the brain. Cerebral oedema can result in brain damage, stroke, or even death.
- Concussions — The most common type of head injury caused by motorcycle accidents, concussions occur when the brain is jarred back and forth within the skull due to an impact. Concussions can vary widely in severity.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury After a Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycle accidents can result in traumatic brain injury, which can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. They are especially dangerous because symptoms for mild TBIs and severe TBIs are often similar.
Symptoms may include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Feeling disoriented
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Difficulty with balance
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Double vision
- Hypersensitivity to sound and/or light
- Sleep problems
- Fatigue
- Slurred speech
- Increased irritability or aggression
- Seizure
- Pupil dilation
- Numbness or weakness
- Changes in taste or smell
Personality Changes
Those close to motorcycle accident victims sometime claim that they no longer “know” their loved one, and personality changes are often observed after more serious traumatic brain injuries. These personality changes can include sudden mood swings, uncontrolled anger, increased irritability, and depression.
States of Consciousness
In the most severe instances of traumatic brain injury following a motorcycle accident, a victim may be left in a state of unconsciousness, including coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, or brain death.
IMPORTANT: If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, seek immediate medical assistance. Head and brain injuries can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening, and diagnosis often requires advanced imaging.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a motorcycle accident, call 1-800-525-7111 for a FREE, no-obligation consultation with an experienced North Carolina motorcycle accident lawyer.
The consultation is free and there are no upfront costs or attorney fees unless we win compensation for you.
Call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your motorcycle accident injury claim.
In cases resulting in long-term disability, our North Carolina disability lawyers can assist with those claims and appeals, and in the most heartbreaking situations, our wrongful death attorneys can help families seek justice for loved ones lost in fatal accidents.
Results for Victims of Motorcycle Accidents in North Carolina
In more than 35 years serving the people of North Carolina, our personal injury lawyers have secured millions of dollars in compensation for those injured in motorcycle accidents (see disclaimer below), including:
- $1,000,000 — Our client, a motorcycle passenger, was thrown from the bike when the driver lost control in an s-curve. We proved liability in the case and negotiated a $1MM total settlement with the insurance company.
- $1,000,000 — Our client was thrown 15 feet from his motorcycle when a vehicle ran a stop sign and collided with him. The driver of the other vehicle was charged in the case and we represented the victim in a separate civil claim, in which we were able to secure $1 million in total compensation. This represented the total limit of the insurance policy.
- $300,000 — A motorcyclist was severely injured when he was t-boned by a pickup truck while pulling onto a busy highway. We proved liability in the case and negotiated a $300,000 total settlement through mediation, representing the limits of the policy in question.
*** Disclaimer: The results mentioned are intended to illustrate the type of cases handled by the firm. These results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and they should not be construed to constitute a promise or guarantee of a particular result in any particular case. Every case is different, and the outcome of any case depends upon a variety of factors unique to that case.
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident in North Carolina, call 1-800-525-7111 for a FREE, no-obligation consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer today.
Our attorneys have more than 220+ years of combined legal experience handling motorcycle accident cases in North Carolina and we would love to help you get the justice you deserve.
Please call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your case.
“They made a hard time in my life easier to endure.”
–Melissa C., Riddle & Brantley client
Don’t wait — the longer you wait to hire an attorney, the harder it may be to win your case and recover compensation for you.
Statistics show that those who hire an attorney to represent them in their personal injury case recover 3.5 times more compensation on average than those that represent themselves.
Justice Counts for those injured due to other’s negligence. Call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your motorcycle accident injury claim.