Motorcycle accidents cause serious health problems that no one expects.
The truth is, there are unique medical issues that come with motorcycle accidents that car accident victims just don’t face. Riding on a motorcycle means more serious injuries, longer recovery times and more medical expenses than a typical car accident.
The problem is this:
Most riders don’t know how to navigate the maze of health insurance, medical bills and legal requirements after a motorcycle accident. As a result, they are stuck paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for injuries they didn’t cause, while their health slowly deteriorates.
What You Will Learn in This Guide:
- Hidden Health Costs Motorcycle Accidents Create
- Insurance Gaps That Cause Riders to Suffer
- Key Legal Steps To Protect Your Medical Needs
- Long-Term Health Consequences Nobody Talks About
- The Impact Legal Representation Has on Results
Motorcycle Accident Health Statistics That May Surprise You
Curious about something that you may not know?
According to the latest statistics, motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die in an accident when compared to people inside a car. But what about those who don’t die?
While we never hear much about the motorcyclists who survive crashes, that doesn’t mean the statistics aren’t alarming. In fact, even nonfatal motorcycle accidents can lead to life-changing injuries and ongoing health problems.
Did you know that in 2021, 83,000 motorcyclists were injured in crashes across the US? But it’s not just the large number of motorcycle accidents that’s the issue.
What Health Insurance Won’t Cover
Let’s talk about something that many riders don’t realize…
Health insurance can take care of many of your medical expenses, but motorcycle accident injuries require a special kind of treatment that most policies will not cover. The gaps in your health coverage can be brutal.
For instance, many health insurance plans don’t cover:
- Experimental therapies for brain injuries
- High-tech rehabilitation equipment
- Long-term care facilities
- Mental health counseling for trauma
Even if your health insurance pays for your treatment, you will still be responsible for deductibles, co-pays and out of pocket maximum expenses.
The Hidden Motorcycle Accident Medical Costs Nobody Mentions
Medical treatment is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to health related expenses after a motorcycle accident.
You also have to cover:
- Modified vehicles to drive while disabled
- Home accessibility remodeling
- Lost income during recovery
- Physical therapy sessions
These medical costs can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially if your injuries are severe. Even “simple” motorcycle accident injuries like broken bones can require extensive treatment.
But it doesn’t end there…
Long Term Health Problems from Motorcycle Accidents
The injuries that you suffer after a motorcycle accident don’t just go away. Many motorcyclists are stuck with long-term health challenges that become more severe over time.
Some common long term health consequences include:
- Chronic pain that needs to be managed
- Restricted mobility that limits jobs
- Cognitive damage from brain trauma
- Emotional issues and PTSD
It’s not uncommon for a motorcycle accident victim to experience medical complications years after receiving initial treatment. This means more medical expenses and potentially lost income over time.
Without legal protection, injured riders have to cover these expenses by themselves.
How Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Help with Your Medical Care
This is where it gets interesting…
A skilled motorcycle accident lawyer doesn’t just help you with legal issues. They can help with your medical care by making sure that you get the treatment you need and the financial protection you deserve.
Legal representation helps you by:
- Gaining access to medical specialists
- Shielding you from insurance company tactics
- Making sure medical expenses are properly documented
- Fighting for future medical expenses to be covered
- Coordinating care with medical professionals
Insurance companies are always looking for ways to minimize the medical treatment that you receive in order to pay out less money.
If you have a good attorney on your side, you can make sure that you get all the medical care that you need to make a full recovery.
Insurance Company Tactics to Limit Your Medical Care
Insurance companies have tactics that they use in order to pay out less money on medical claims.
Some common tactics include:
- Questioning the need for recommended treatment
- Refusing to cover rehabilitation expenses
- Limiting physical therapy visits
- Denying mental health treatment coverage
- Pressuring quick settlements
All of these tactics are designed to negatively affect your health outcomes by preventing access to proper medical care.
Legal representation helps to prevent these types of insurance company tactics from taking place. Attorneys counter these moves by properly documenting medical necessity and fighting for the right treatment coverage.
The Legal Steps Needed to Protect Your Health
Legal action may seem far away when you’re focused on recovery, but it plays a big role in protecting your health.
Legal steps protect your health by:
- Making sure a full medical evaluation is performed
- Securing funds for future treatment
- Shielding you from future medical complications
- Documenting all health impacts related to the injury
- Establishing a network of medical care
If injured riders don’t take legal steps to protect their rights, they often settle for inadequate medical care just because they can’t afford to pay for proper treatment.
Medical Documentation Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident
Did you know that you need to document your medical treatment after a motorcycle accident for both health and legal reasons?
Make sure to document:
- Emergency room records and ambulance reports
- Diagnostic images and test results
- Recommended treatment plans
- Physical therapy progress notes
Having detailed medical documentation not only helps you by making sure you get continuity of care, it also helps to build a strong legal case for compensation.
Some riders make the mistake of not getting medical attention quickly after an accident, but this can hurt their health AND their legal case.
When to Contact a Lawyer to Help With Your Health Issues
When it comes to getting a lawyer for health issues after a motorcycle accident, timing is everything.
Contact a lawyer when:
- Insurance companies are denying needed medical treatment
- Medical bills exceed your coverage limits
- Doctors are recommending expensive specialty care
- Recovery requires long term rehab
- Pre-existing conditions are being blamed for your injuries
If you take legal action quickly, insurance companies can’t take advantage of injured riders during the recovery period.
Future Medical Needs Motorcycle Accident Victims Have
Smart legal representation doesn’t just think about current medical expenses and treatment needs. You also need to think about the future.
Future medical needs may include:
- Continuing medication expenses
- Ongoing specialist appointments
- Surgical complications
- Aging injuries getting worse
- Replacement costs for adaptive equipment
These future costs can easily dwarf the initial medical bills and treatment costs. This is why you need to make sure that your legal representation is going to be there for you in the future.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries That Cause the Worst Health Problems
Certain motorcycle accident injuries have a knack for causing the worst health outcomes.
Motorcycle injuries that cause the worst health problems include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Amputations
- Broken bones
All of these injuries can have long-term health effects that lead to increased medical expenses. This is where smart legal representation can help by ensuring full and fair compensation for your injuries.
The injuries listed above can lead to medical expenses such as physical therapy sessions, mental health counseling and treatment for pain management.
The Connection Between Your Accident Case and Your Medical Care
A motorcycle accident injury case is more connected to your medical care than you may realize.
The intersection between legal representation, medical treatment and insurance coverage determines whether an injured rider recovers with full health or struggles with lifelong medical issues.
Smart motorcyclists understand that accident cases aren’t just about the money. Legal representation can help by making sure that you receive full medical care, protecting you from insurance company tactics and securing the resources you need for ongoing medical care.
Motorcycle accident statistics show serious health problems are created by these types of accidents and professional legal support is needed to properly deal with them. Without the right legal protection, motorcycle accident victims risk being under treated medically and face a financial burden that multiplies their health issues.
Don’t let insurance companies get in the way of what medical treatment you receive. Professional legal representation ensures that injured riders get the medical care they need to recover fully while also protecting their financial future.
