Injured motorcyclists will need to heal completely from a broken bone before they should get back on a motorcycle. They may have to wait weeks or months, depending on the severity of the fracture suffered. But the wait can also include physical therapy that may be needed. Ultimately, it will be up to a medical professional to decide when a rider is safe to take to the road again.
Victims in motorcycle accidents can also suffer Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) after being thrown from their bikes. Recovery times for a brain injury can be difficult to predict. A rider would have to be mentally fit and regain full control of their body before taking a trip. Seizures caused by a brain injury can also affect a victim’s ability to keep or get a motorcycle license.
Motorcycle Accident Risks Around Spokane
Motorcyclists around Spokane are generally skilled and safe motorists. Unfortunately, no amount of road experience can protect riders while they travel alongside careless drivers.
A motorcyclist may be on I-90 when a driver makes a lane change without a single glance at a mirror. A driver on Division may be staring at a text and fail to look up in time to avoid rear-ending a rider stopped at a red light.
These and other reckless mistakes can leave motorcyclists with serious injuries and wondering how to hold a bad driver accountable for all medical bills. Riders can also wonder how long an injury will keep them away from the trips they love.
Recovery Times After a Broken Bone in a Motorcycle Accident
The question of how long a motorcyclist will have to give up riding can be a tricky one. With a broken leg or ankle, Scientific American reports that patients are usually asked to stay off their feet for at least six weeks. A simple arm fracture may take six weeks to heal, but a more complex break could take half a year or more to fully bounce back.
The prognosis can depend on the location of the bone that breaks and the type of break that occurs. Victims can break their ribs, a collar bone, or a bone that bears more weight, such as the femur, the largest bone in the body. The larger bones and joints that support mobility will likely take longer to heal.
These are a few of the types of complex fractures that doctors at Sacred Heart Medical Center often treat after Motorcycle Accidents:
- Comminuted Fractures: Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that this type of break leaves the bone in more than 2 pieces. It may also leave fragments behind.
- Compression Fractures: The bone is crushed.
- Open Fractures: The end of a broken bone sticks through the skin.
- Spiral Fractures: The bone break isn’t in a straight line and instead spirals around the bone.
These and other complications can mean that recovery times are extended. Victims might need major surgery to align bones so they heal properly. Surgeons may have to install screws and plates to hold bones in place as they heal. These factors can boost a rehabilitation into the six-month or one-year range.
Some patients have symptoms and pain that become permanent. Then it becomes a question of whether a motorcyclist can deal with the effects of the injury while they ride.
A bone may heal, but motorcyclists must also be able to withstand the pain of sitting on a motorcycle and switching gears. They’ll have to have the strength to keep the handlebars straight and control their bikes. Recovery times will have to include several weeks of physical therapy. At the end of the day, it should be up to a doctor and therapists when riders can risk a ride without causing an injury relapse.
Brain Injuries and Recovery Times for Motorcyclists
A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) suffered in a motorcycle accident can affect a rider’s ability to make good decisions on the road. A TBI might also cause physical symptoms that would make riding impossible until the patient is fully healed.
These are a few of the scary effects brain trauma can have, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.
- Traumatic epilepsy causing seizures
- Memory problems and amnesia
- Paralysis and weakness
- Poor balance
- Tremors
- A loss of a sense of time and place
- Poor coordination
These and other symptoms would make it dangerous for anyone to ride a motorcycle. Fortunately, these effects usually go away in a few weeks or months after a collision.
But motorcyclists who suffer brain injuries can factor physical therapy into their wait to get back on the highway. They may need help restoring their motor skills involving coordination between the brain and the body. This important step can delay a rider’s green light to begin riding a motorcycle again.
Can a Brain Injury Affect My Ability to Get a Motorcycle License in Washington?
Those with physical or mental issues after an accident may have to prove their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle to the Washington State Department of Licensing. Lingering effects from a TBI could block a victim’s ability to maintain a license or to get a new license.
The requirement for victims is covered under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 46.20.041:
1) If the department has reason to believe that a person is suffering from a physical or mental disability or disease that may affect that person’s ability to drive a motor vehicle, the department must evaluate whether the person is able to safely drive a motor vehicle. As part of the evaluation:
(a) The department shall permit the person to demonstrate personally that notwithstanding the disability or disease he or she is able to safely drive a motor vehicle.
(b) The department may require the person to obtain a statement signed by a licensed physician or other proper authority designated by the department certifying the person’s condition.
The Epilepsy Foundation reports that generally, patients would need to be seizure-free for 6 months before being granted motorcycle license privileges.
Contact a Spokane Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If a driver’s mistake sent you into a collision, that driver’s car insurance should be covering every medical cost you have and more.
Talk to an experienced Spokane Motorcycle Accident Lawyer. It’s a free meeting to go over what your case is really worth before insurance adjusters try to convince you it’s worth nothing at all.
Reach out to the Lawyers at CCD Law of Spokane for a consultation on the details of your case. It comes at no cost to you. If you decide we can help you earn more for your accident claim, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we win your case for you. Then our fees come out of the insurance settlement you receive.