Following a motorcycle accident, one of the most commonly suffered injuries is biker’s arm.
This injury is caused when the bike falls on the arm of the rider and causes nerve damage to the arm. In this post, Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer will discuss this injury in detail.
Types of motorcycle accidents that can cause biker’s arm
As we just discussed, rider’s arm is caused when the motorcycle lands on the rider’s arm following a crash and creates a tremendous amount of force. This can cause serious and even permanent injuries to the motorcyclist.
Unfortunately, almost every type of motorcycle accident has the potential to cause this injury. Some of the motorcycle accidents which can result in rider’s arm include:
- Bad weather accidents
- Blind spot accidents
- Work zone accidents
- Riding when intoxicated accidents
- Inexperienced rider accidents
- Failure to Yield accidents
- Intersection accidents
- Construction zone accidents
- Motorcycle malfunction accidents
- Speeding accidents
When the motorcycle falls on the rider’s arm, it can cause severe injuries, and among the most serious of them is paralysis. It can cause permanent loss of sensation and movement in the part or whole of the arm.
Paralysis resulting from a motorcycle accident
Paralysis refers to the partial or complete loss of muscle function. It can occur to one or more muscle, and in case of rider’s arm, it can occur to the muscles of hand or arm. When an individual suffers rider’s arm, which leads to paralysis, it will involve one of the three nerves in the arm including:
Median Nerve
This nerve is located on the inner side of the arm, and crosses in front of the elbow joint. Median nerve is the one which is affected by carpal tunnel syndrome as well. If this nerve become damaged in the crash, the rider may experience partial or complete paralysis of all or parts of the hand and/or arm.
Radial Nerve
It is located on the outside and back of the arm, and transmits signals for the muscles to lift and straighten the wrist, fingers and thumb, and to straighten the elbow. When the radial nerve becomes injured, the rider may not be able to perform these important functions
Ulnar Nerve
This nerve is located in the inside of the arm and passes behind the elbow. Ulnar nerve allows for the bending of fingers and wrist, and also allows the fingers to move from side to side. This nerve is commonly known as the funny bone, and when it gets injured, the above mentioned functions may no longer be possible.
If you suffered a biker’s arm in a motorcycle accident that was caused by another person’s fault, you may be able to pursue damages that cover your medical expenses, surgery costs, rehabilitation, property damage, and pain and suffering. In order to get the insurance company to pay the damages that you deserve, you should seek legal assistance of a competent Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer.
