If you are an avid motorcyclist, you undoubtedly are looking forward to the upcoming riding season. After all, California has some awesome places to visit behind the handlebars of your cruiser or sportbike. Still, someone else’s poor driving may put you at extreme risk of suffering a serious bodily injury.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 5,400 motorcycle riders died in traffic accidents in 2019 alone. Many others, of course, sustained life-altering injuries in collisions with cars, trucks and SUVs. Biker’s arm has the potential to be one of these.
What is biker’s arm?
Biker’s arm is the name for a collection of injuries you may suffer when your motorcycle lands on your arm during an accident. Because your bike likely weighs hundreds or even thousands of pounds, it can crush the bones, muscles, tendons and nerves in your arm, wrist, hand or arm.
What are the symptoms of biker’s arm?
If you have biker’s arm, you are likely to notice your injury immediately. That is, this type of injury does not often happen without excruciating pain. Nevertheless, after a motorcycle accident, you should watch for the following symptoms:
- Loss of feeling in your hand, wrist or arm
- Loss of motion
- Pain, numbness or tingling in your arm
- What are your treatment options?
After a motorcycle accident, it is wise to go to the emergency room for a medical evaluation. If you have biker’s arm, doctors are likely to use X-rays or other imaging technologies to make a diagnosis. Then, you may require surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
Ultimately, because your life may never return to normal, you may have grounds to pursue financial compensation from the driver who caused the accident.