Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Piccuta Law Group Agree to Represent Man Seriously Injured in Motorcycle Crash
Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Piccuta Law Group Agree to Represent Man Seriously Injured in Motorcycle Crash
Earlier this month, the motorcycle accident attorneys at the Piccuta Law Group agreed to represent a man who sustained serious injuries while riding his motorcycle. The man was struck by an automobile while on the freeway which caused him to lose control of his motorcycle. As a result of the motorcycle crash, the man fractured his arm, injured his leg and sustained road rash abrasions across his body.
The Details of the Motorcycle Accident That Caused Personal Injury
The client was travelling on the 101 Freeway in the San Jose area at approximately 60 miles per hour when a vehicle made an unsafe lane change. Specifically, a BMW sedan moved into the client’s lane causing him to crash his motorcycle. The client was not speeding or lane splitting at the time and it appears that the BMW simply did not see the client.
As a result of the crash, the client was slammed violently to the asphalt. At the time, the client was wearing jeans, riding boots, a short sleeve t-shirt, leather vest and bucket helmet. The client slid on the asphalt causing significant road-rash abrasions. The client also landed on his left arm and left wrist with extreme force.
Other drivers stopped at the scene and assisted the client. Emergency medical responders arrived at the scene and stabilized the client. The client was then put in spinal precautions and transported by ambulance to the emergency room of a local hospital.
The Personal Injuries Caused by the Motorcycle Accident
The client broke both bones in his left arm near the end by his wrist. Using medical terminology, the client suffered a grade 2 open left distal radius and ulnar fracture. The radius and ulna are the large bones in the lower arm. The client also severely sprained both ankles and fractured the navicular bone in his left foot. The navicular bone is located in your foot between the toes and ankle. The client also sustained abrasions and road rash on nearly 50% of his body.
The client underwent an open reduction internal fixation surgery with plate and screws. An open reduction internal fixation surgery involves making an incision in an individual to access the bone fracture. The fractured bone is then realigned in correct anatomical position and fixed with hardware. In the client’s case, the hardware was a titanium plate and screws. The hardware serves to keep the broken pieces of bone in alignment so that the fracture can heal and correctly fuse back together.
The procedure involves putting the individual under general anesthesia. There are several complications that can result from the procedure. One of the complications is infection. Even with a successful procedure, the bone may not fuse back together properly. Even if the bone fuses back together correctly, the individual may need to undergo a second surgery to remove the hardware. Hardware, such as plate and screws, can cause pain and discomfort. This includes aching and other discomfort during cold weather. The hardware can also cause lack of mobility.
The client was eventually discharged from the hospital’s trauma center following the surgery. The client left the hospital with his fractured arm surgically repaired and in a splint. He also required a boot for his left foot that sustained the fracture. He was prescribed pain medication and physical therapy.
Why Motorcycle Riders Are At Risk For Serious Accidents on the Freeway
Motorcycle riders are especially susceptible to serious injuries while riding on the freeway. Freeway speeds generate substantial forces. When a motorcycle rider crashes at these speeds, the injuries are almost always catastrophic and even fatal. There is less protection for a motorcycle rider as he or she is not enclosed in a vehicle and protected by a vehicle frame.
There is less protection for a motorcycle rider as he or she is not enclosed in a vehicle and protected by a vehicle frame.
A motorcycle rider is also not affixed to the motorcycle. In other words, there is nothing holding the motorcycle rider to the motorcycle. In a vehicle, the driver and passengers are affixed to the vehicle with a seatbelt. As such, if the vehicle is stopped abruptly, as is often the case in a car accident, the seatbelt is designed to restrain the occupant from continuing at the same speed he was travelling. The seatbelt is designed to stop the driver with the vehicle.
Someone travelling in a car or motorcycle is moving at the same speed as the car or motorcycle. This sometimes is forgotten as the individual is sitting at rest in the comfort of his or her vehicle. In reality, the individual is moving at a tremendous rate of speed and if the vehicle was to stop suddenly, that does not mean that the driver or passengers will stop suddenly.
To better illustrate this point, imagine an individual sitting on top of the roof of a car. If that car was to stop, that individual would continue to move and fly off the roof without something to hold he or she in place. The same holds true for individuals who do not wear their seatbelts and are in a crash. They would fly forward and come into contact with the windshield or steering wheel, but for an airbag deploying to protect them.
Motorcycle riders obviously do not have the protections of airbags and seatbelts. When a motorcycle stops, a rider does not. The result is often horrible and serious injuries.
Motorcycle riders are further vulnerable on freeways as negligent drivers may not appreciate that they are there. Motorcycles are far less visible than passenger vehicles. As a result, motorcycles can easily be lost in blind spots or just not seen when a driver is checking to make a lane change or makes another driving maneuver.
Balance is critical to the operation of a motorcycle as it is only on two wheels. Even a minor impact at a high rate of speed can cause a rider to lose control and crash. What would be a minor sideswipe collision for two vehicles, would be a catastrophic crash between a motorcycle and car. What would result in nothing more than the exchange of paint between two cars, could be a fatal impact between a car and motorcycle.
Contact and Experienced Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
Contact the Piccuta Law Group today if you or a loved one sustained serious injuries as the result of a motorcycle accident. Our motorcycle accident attorneys are available now to discuss your case. Our personal injury attorneys have successfully recovered millions in motorcycle accident cases. In 2018, our firm won a motorcycle accident case in Monterey County and obtained a verdict of $1,925,000 for the firm’s client who was injured while riding a motorcycle. We regularly handle motorcycle accident cases and can obtain top dollar for your motorcycle accident injury. An experienced attorney is available now to discuss your case. A consultation is free and you pay nothing unless we obtain money for you. Contact us today.
About the author: The content on this page was written by California civil rights lawyer and Monterey personal injury attorney Charles “Tony” Piccuta. Piccuta graduated with honors from Indiana University-Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana (Ranked Top 35 US News & World Report 2018). Piccuta took and passed the State bars of Arizona, California, Illinois and Nevada (all on the first try). He actively practices throughout California and Arizona. He is a winning trial attorney that regularly handles serious personal injury cases and civil rights lawsuits. He has obtained six and seven figure verdicts in both state and federal court. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers for six years straight. He is AV Rated by Martindale Hubble. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, American Association for Justice, National Police Accountability Project, Arizona Association of Justice, Maricopa County Bar Association and Scottsdale Bar Association, among other organizations.
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