Kentucky motorcyclists may be traveling a city street in Louisville or Lexington, or they may be on a winding rural backroad. In either case, it’s not the curves that are the biggest threat. The most frightening hazards always come from careless drivers.
Motorists get reckless and can miss spotting a defenseless rider until they’ve already knocked a victim from a motorcycle. Victims can suffer broken legs and in some cases a fractured ankle.
During the long recovery ahead, it’ll be important that victims focus on healing and on getting back on their bikes. They should allow a Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Lawyer to handle the frustrating fight with car insurance companies to get them full financial support.
A Free Consultation with a Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Ankle Fracture Lawyer
A broken ankle can make getting around a difficult task for several months. That’s not to mention the time riders will be off their bikes and out of work.
After being forced into a frightening Kentucky motorcycle crash by a careless driver and suffering a broken ankle, you should never have to face the expense of recovery alone. To make sure you aren’t held responsible for the costs of your comeback from a serious injury, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, of Kentucky.
Our skilled Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Lawyers offer a free, no-obligation case consultation to all accident victims. It’s an easy, no-risk way to understand the injury benefits available to you and how to secure those benefits from an unhelpful car insurance company. If you feel we can help you earn more for your injury claim settlement you won’t need to worry about paying us. We don’t get paid unless we win your claim for you.
Broken Ankles in Kentucky Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists ride in the open air and don’t have seatbelts and airbags to cushion them in a collision. Riders are at risk of a collision the first time a driver makes a lane change without checking a mirror or blindspot.
Motorcycle accidents are often devastating because riders are first struck by a vehicle and then usually sent to the ground. The legs and arms are often the first part of the victim’s body to strike the pavement. The foot and ankle may be the first bones to break.
Any of the bones that form the ankle can suffer a simple break or even shatter in the force. The ankle bones are made up of the tibia and fibula (the two lower leg bones) and the talus. The talus bridges the gap between the heel bone and the leg bones with ligaments. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons details how the talus bone is very important to the operation of an ankle. When it breaks in a car accident, surgery is usually required.
When a talus break doesn’t heal properly, motorcycle accident victims can experience:
- A limp.
- Chronic pain.
- A permanent loss of flexibility.
A fracture in any of the ankle bones or ligament damage can result in more than just lost time on a motorcycle. Victims might be unable to drive themselves to doctor appointments or to work. This is why a Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Lawyer seeks compensation for current medical bills and the care expected to be needed in the years to come.
Types of Driver Mistakes That Can Put Kentucky Motorcyclists in Danger
Drivers who cause motorcycle accidents usually don’t know the motorcycles are there until the last second. It’s because drivers don’t spend enough time checking their mirrors and take only brief glances at oncoming traffic when they make a turn.
Motorcyclists and their vulnerable ankles are put at risk by many types of driver neglect:
- Vehicle Turning Left – Drivers anxious to turn left across approaching traffic can gun it when they see an opening in the cars, but miss the motorcyclist coming directly at them. It happens far too often and leaves riders with little time to brake or steer around the length of the offender’s car.
- Lane Splitting – This occurs when a motorcyclist travels between two lanes of stopped or slowly moving traffic. This maneuver isn’t really mentioned in Kentucky vehicle codes. It’s not exactly illegal, and you’ll see some riders do it. It leaves them vulnerable when drivers aren’t paying attention to who and what is beside them.
- Unsafe Lane Changes – Drivers in vehicles risk motorcyclists’ lives when they cut over into other lanes without checking mirrors. They can sideswipe cyclists and send them down on curbs. Merging drivers also provide dangers to motorcyclists.
- Rearend Impacts – Drivers approaching traffic lights can glance down at a cell phone screen and fail to stop for a red light. They can ram a motorcycle at full speed.
- Dooring – Passengers and drivers in parked cars can fail to look properly for approaching motorcyclists. They open a door and suddenly form a metal wall in front of the rider.
Compensation Available for Motorcycle Accident Victims Suffering from Ankle Injuries
Motorcycle accident victims left with debilitating ankle injuries should expect support from any at-fault driver’s car insurance provider. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters can spend more time trying to blame riders for their accidents and casting doubt on their injuries than actually helping.
A Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, motorcycle accident lawyer fully investigates your accident and collects all evidence and testimony to prove what really happened. A strong case makes it much harder for auto insurance providers to delay a settlement check or deny coverage.
Your lawyer will be including a list of every hardship that you and your family have had to endure after a serious ankle injury. Your lawyer fights to get these and other hardships covered in a Kentucky motorcycle accident settlement check:
- All Medical Bills
- Physical Therapy Costs
- Medical Equipment Costs
- Lost Income and Benefits from Work
- Cost of Travel to Doctor Appointments
- Support for a Physical Disability
- Support for Pain and Emotional Trauma Suffered
- Loss of Quality of Life
- Motorcycle Repair or Replacement
Contact a Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Ankle Fracture Lawyer
Kentucky motorcycle accident victims have up to one year to file an injury claim with a car insurance company. It’s always best to act quickly. Acting immediately gives your attorney the best chance to collect fresh evidence and build a strong case for you.
If you or a loved one have suffered a broken ankle due to a driver’s carelessness, don’t feel like you must cope with the pain and the financial burden of care alone.
Schedule a free, no-obligation case review today with a Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Lawyer you can trust to be on your side and fight for your fair compensation. You’ll speak with a real Kentucky lawyer at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC. It’s your chance to find out how much you should demand for your leg injury and how to hold insurance companies accountable.
