Every year, thousands of motorcyclists suffer serious injuries in crashes, and riders face a far greater risk of harm than occupants of other vehicles. Even when wearing safety gear such as helmets, boots, gloves, and jackets, riders can still sustain significant injuries. Organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the World Health Organization, and the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine have studied the types, locations, and severity of the most common motorcycle crash injuries. Based on this research and years of experience representing injured riders, our attorneys see the following injuries most often:
Between 2001 and 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined the medical records of 1,222,000 people hospitalized for non-fatal injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents. Among these cases, the feet and legs were the most frequently affected body part, accounting for 30% of all injuries. Injuries to the neck and head were the next most prevalent, making up 22% of cases, followed by injuries to the chest, back, or shoulders, and then injuries to the hands and arms. Injuries to the pelvis and hips were the least common locations for non-fatal motorcycle accident injuries.
The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM) studied the relationship between motorcycle accident injuries, helmet use, and rider age by reviewing police reports and hospital discharge records for motorcycle riders injured in Maryland between 1998 and 2002. The study assessed injury severity across nine body locations and found that riders who wore helmets experienced fewer severe injuries but more minor injuries. Consistent with the CDC's findings, the AAAM identified the legs and feet as the most commonly injured areas among motorcycle riders.
The study further revealed that riders under the age of 40 were at greater risk of severe head injuries when they did not wear helmets, while riders over 40 had a higher likelihood of such injuries when they did wear helmets. Among the severe injuries that resulted in fatalities, thoracic injuries were the most common, followed by head injuries and abdominal injuries. Although helmet use did not significantly influence the data, the study was comprehensive in its evaluation of the impact of helmets on motorcycle accident injuries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a detailed examination to identify the specific types of injuries sustained by riders seeking medical treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Pakistan. To keep the analysis focused, individuals with only soft tissue injuries and no fractures were excluded from the study, as were those who suffered head injuries requiring neurosurgical intervention. The results showed that injuries to the legs and feet were the most frequently recorded.
Among lower limb injuries, the tibia and fibula bones of the lower legs had the highest incidence of fractures, followed by the femur. The most common upper body fractures involved the radius and ulna bones of the lower arms, followed by the humerus bones of the upper arms. Because the tibia showed the highest overall probability of fracture, the WHO recommended that riders consider protective gear for the lower limbs while riding.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analyzed data from death certificates for 8,539 motorcyclists who died in motorcycle accidents between 2000 and 2002. For motorcyclists who were wearing helmets at the time of the accident, the majority of fatalities — 57 percent — resulted from injuries affecting multiple areas of the body. By comparison, 44 percent of unhelmeted riders died from injuries affecting multiple body locations. Nineteen percent of helmeted riders died after sustaining head injuries, compared to 36 percent of unhelmeted riders. Overall, 51 percent of fatalities resulted from injuries in multiple body locations, while 27 percent of deaths involved head injuries. In crashes resulting in only one injury, head injuries were the leading cause of death.
