Bone Fractures in Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle accidents in Rancho Bernardo and throughout Southern California often result from negligent motor vehicle drivers. While bike collisions can result in cyclists sustaining a wide range of both nonfatal and fatal injuries, bone fractures are serious injuries and are especially common in these types of collisions. After traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), bone fractures are the most common, yet serious nonfatal injury associated with bicycle accidents, and these fractures can result in total and sometimes permanent disabilities. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Injury suggests that certain types of bone fractures are more likely in bicycle accidents than others and that sex, age, and even the type of bicycle can be predictive factors. Our Rancho Bernardo personal injury lawyers can tell you more.

Study on Bone Fractures in Bicycle Crashes

Broken bones are one of the leading causes of nonfatal injuries in bicycle accidents, yet even though many bone fractures do not result in fatalities, they often have debilitating consequences. In terms of the type of bicycle, riders of mountain bikes and road bikes were significantly less likely than riders of traditional bicycles — of all ages — to sustain serious nonfatal bone fracture injuries in collisions. The authors of the study suggest that this is due in part to the fact that collisions involving road bikes and mountain bikes tend to be more severe and often result in fatalities as opposed to nonfatal injuries.

Adults were significantly more likely than children to sustain broken bones in bicycle accidents, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all bone fracture injuries assessed in the study. The researchers in the study also found that men were slightly more likely than women to sustain bone fractures in bicycle accidents. While older adults are more likely than younger adults to suffer broken bone injuries, the majority of cyclists who sustained bone fractures in bicycle accidents were not at an age where broken bones begin to become more likely.

Common Types of Nonfatal Broken Bone Injuries

The study’s “major peak” ages for bone fractures were 13 and 47. Most bone fractures affected the forearm, followed by the hand, humerus, tibia, ankle, and clavicle.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, bone density issues typically begin to affect adults around the age of 50, but serious bone fractures can occur at any age. The severity of a bone fracture will depend on the fracture pattern and the part of the body where the bone is broken. Generally speaking, oblique and transverse fractures tend to be easier to heal than greenstick, comminuted, segmental, and spiral fractures. Any of these types of fractures can affect the body parts discussed above, and the likelihood of full recovery or long-term disability will depend on the nature of the break and factors related to the individual.

Contact Our Rancho Bernardo Personal Injury Attorneys for Assistance with Your Bicycle Injury Claim

Bicycle accidents in Southern California occur much too frequently, and they typically happen because a motorist is not paying sufficient attention to the road or fails to properly share the road with a cyclist. Bicycle accidents can also happen when roadways and bike lanes are not properly maintained. When a bicycle accident does occur, and another party may be at fault, it is important to seek advice from a Rancho Bernardo bicycle accident attorney about filing a claim and seeking financial compensation. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.