Facial Injuries Caused by Motorcycle Accidents
The joy you get from riding your motorcycle is unmatched, but that excitement comes at a price. Riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than being in a passenger vehicle since motorcycles simply don’t have the protection offered by larger, sturdier vehicles. Even if you’re wearing a helmet, there’s a good chance you’ll sustain some facial injuries if you’re involved in an accident.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle crash, don’t wait any longer to find out if you are entitled to compensation. Call Reeves & Mestayer at 1-855-558-2977 to set up a meeting with our team right now.
Damage to Your Bones
Your face has 14 bones, many of which are fairly small and easy to break in something as traumatizing as a motorcycle accident. A bone break may be minor, simply requiring that you rest and leave the affected area alone until it heals. On the other hand, it can also be incredibly major, collapsing part of your facial structures and completely changing how you look.
You may need surgery or other extensive medical intervention to reset the bones and regain full use of your face. In some cases, these injuries can also affect the functionality of your face. For example, broken bones near the mouth can keep you from eating, drinking, or speaking properly. Broken nasal bones may limit your ability to breathe comfortably. Broken bones near your eyes may limit your vision.
Injuries Affecting Your Skin
Your skin is likely to be severely damaged in a motorcycle accident. Even in the best-case scenario in which a motorcyclist is wearing full leather riding gear, that still leaves the face exposed. If you are thrown off your bike and travel down the road, you’re likely to have significant cuts and abrasions.
Not only can these be painful and unpleasant to look at, but direct contact with the road also puts you at risk of infection. In severe cases, large abrasions may require a skin graft. Victims often experience scarring long after the facial abrasions have fully healed.
Dental Injuries
Dental injuries may be some of the worst facial injuries caused by motorcycle crashes. Not only do damaged or missing teeth significantly change your appearance, but they also heavily affect your ability to go about daily life. Missing or damaged teeth can leave you unable to eat or speak clearly. To make matters worse, dental work can be incredibly expensive in the United States, so the presence of any dental injury can immediately drive up the cost of your accident.
Broken bones aren’t the only type of dental injury resulting from motorcycle accidents. Victims also report damage to the tongue and the inside of the mouth, both of which are highly susceptible to infection. A broken jawbone can take a long time to recover, and in the meantime, it may force you to follow a liquid diet.
What to Do After an Accident
Regardless of whether or not you have any obvious facial injuries, you should seek medical attention immediately after a motorcycle accident. Many severe injuries require immediate diagnosis and treatment if a patient wants to have any chance at a full recovery. This is also true for facial injuries.
For example, if you wait too long to identify a broken bone in your face, the bones may have begun to reset themselves—but they may have reconnected improperly. This can permanently alter your appearance and functionality, or you may even need to have the bone rebroken so it can be reset properly.
The sooner you get to the doctor after an accident, the sooner they can identify injuries and begin treatment. As an added benefit, this also makes it easier to prove that your injuries were caused by the accident, which strengthens your personal injury claim.
Get the Help You Need with Reeves & Mestayer
Looking for assistance with your motorcycle accident claim? It’s time to talk to the team at Reeves & Mestayer. Call us at 1-855-558-2977 or send us a message online. During your consultation, we’ll learn more about your accident, explain your options, and create a plan to fight for the compensation you deserve.
