Common Bicycle Injuries

Getting around California on a bicycle is a great way to get fresh air, exercise, and take in all the beautiful scenery The Golden State offers. Unfortunately, much of the time, cyclists have to share the road with drivers. Even though there are a fair amount of cyclists in California, too often drivers still do not watch out for them as much as they should. It is this negligence that often leads to bicycle accidents. When a crash happens, cyclists are often left with the most severe injuries. Those injuries are painful, life-changing, and expensive. A San Francisco bicycle accident lawyer can help accident victims claim the compensation the need to help cover the costs of their injuries.

Due to the fact that cyclists have little protection when they head out on the road, the injuries they sustain after a crash are usually severe. Although any injury can occur, below are the most common injuries seen after a bike wreck.

• Amputation: Amputations that occur at the crash site are known as accidental amputations. Sometimes, such as when a limb cannot be saved, a surgical amputation may be needed.
• Broken bones: Cyclists often sustain multiple broken bones during a bike accident. These typically require several surgeries to correct.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI): Helmets can help lessen the severity of a brain injury, but sometimes they still do not protect against catastrophic injuries such as TBIs.
• Dental injuries: Chipped and broken teeth are common injuries in a bike accident.
• Hand and wrist injuries: It is natural for cyclists to put their hands out to try to break their fall. When they do, they suffer scrapes, cuts, road rash, and broken bones in these areas.
• Joint dislocations: These injuries are common when a cyclist makes contact with a vehicle, or when trying to break a fall.
• Neck injuries: Cyclists sometimes suffer from whiplash, or injure the nerves, joints, muscles, tendons, and vertebrae in the neck
• Road rash: When cyclists are thrown from their bikes, their arms, face, and hands are dragged across the surface of the road. This causes scrapes and cuts known as road rash. There is always a high risk that road rash will become infected.
• Spinal cord injuries: These injuries include everything from ruptured or slipped discs to paralysis.

When victims are left with these severe injuries, they should speak to a bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco who can help them fight for the compensation they need.

All injuries after a bicycle accident require treatment. However, not all of them are surgical. These types of treatments include casts or sutures. Sometimes, though, even non-surgical treatments take time. Accident victims for example, may have to wear a cast for months, greatly limiting their mobility.

Surgical treatments are most often required when accident victims have suffered broken bones, damage to internal organs, or have sustained tendon and ligament injuries. Surgical and non-surgical treatments are very costly and usually, bike accident victims are unable to work for a long period of time. This is why accident victims must speak to an experienced and compassionate accident lawyer today.

If you have been injured in a bicycle crash and someone else was at fault, you need the help of an experienced bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco. At the Brod Law Firm, we fight for the rights of accident victims and help them get any compensation to which they are entitled. Call us today at (800) 427-7020 to schedule your free consultation with one of our attorneys.