Due to the very nature of riding a motorcycle - out in the open, unprotected by a large vehicle - Indiana motorcyclists face the risk of dangerous accidents. The sudden impact of a motorcycle accident may lead to crushing and catastrophic injuries. One of the most serious injuries associated with motorcycle accidents is that of a spinal cord injury.

Motorcycle accidents are the fifth leading cause of spinal cord injuries for men, following auto accidents, falls, gunshots and diving accidents. Males are the victims of the vast majority of spinal cord injuries, at over 80 percent of reported spinal cord injuries.

A spinal cord injury, though undoubtedly serious, is not a death sentence. There may be as many as 450,000 people who have spinal cord injuries living in the United States, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. An injury's severity will depend on where a person's spinal cord was affected in an accident. An injury affecting a portion of the vertebral column that is close to the brain will have a greater effect on how a person's body moves than one affecting a lower portion of the vertebral column. Furthermore, in an incomplete spinal cord injury, an injured victim may still retain some function below the level of injury, allowing him to move a leg or arm.

Spinal cord injuries often necessitate immediate and expensive medical care. Proper care may include radiological evaluation, an extensive stay in an intensive care unit, as well as surgery, to be followed by lengthy rehabilitation and therapy.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle collision, there may be an option for financial recovery to not only compensate a victim for his pain and suffering, but also to cover extensive medical bills. An attorney may be able to discuss your options with you.

Source: aans.org, " Spinal Cord Injury ," accessed Dec. 26, 2015