Motorcycle Accident Injuries That May Not Be Obvious on the First Day
Ohio’s two-year deadline for filing a motorcycle injury lawsuit begins when the injury occurs, not when you finally realize it. Under O.R.C. 2305.10, bodily injury claims generally accrue on the date of injury. A concussion that does not appear until day four does not get extra time.
That’s a problem because many serious motorcycle accidents hide at first. Adrenaline blocks pain. Riders get up, check their bikes, wave away the ambulance, and wake up two days later unable to move their heads.
Injuries That Often Show Up Later
Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury
A helmet lowers the risk of brain injury. It doesn’t eliminate it. The CDC notes that some concussion symptoms appear immediately, while others take hours or days to appear. Watch out for headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity, trouble concentrating, irritability, or changes in your sleep. Family members often notice these changes before you do.
Internal Bleeding and Organ Damage
Hitting the handlebars, fuel tank, or pavement can injure the spleen, liver, kidneys without breaking the skin. Belly pain, deep bruising across the abdomen, dizziness or feeling faint after a crash call for emergency care.
Spinal and Soft Tissue Injuries
Herniated discs, ligament tears, and neck strain often feel like simple soreness on the first night. Stiffness that gets worse, or numbness and tingling running down an arm or leg, can indicate nerve involvement.
Compartment Syndrome
Riders’ legs are often pinned or crushed under a bike. Swelling in a muscle compartment can build up pressure until it cuts off blood flow.
Emotional and Psychological Injuries
Anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, and fear of getting back on a motorcycle can surface weeks after a crash. These are real injuries. Once a provider has diagnosed and treated them, they become part of your claim.
How Delayed Symptoms Affect Your Claim
Insurance adjusters look for gaps. If two weeks pass between the accident and your first doctor’s visit, expect the insurance company to argue that something else caused your injury.
Riders also face an extra hurdle: the assumption that motorcyclists ride recklessly. Insurers rely on that bias when assigning fault, and under Ohio’s comparative fault law, any percentage of fault assigned to you reduces what you can recover.
A few simple steps can help protect both your health and your insurance claim:
- Get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible, even if you don’t feel any pain or discomfort.
- Be honest with your doctors and insurers about the accident and any symptoms you’re experiencing. Even if they seem minor, they could be important for your recovery.
- Keep a record of your pain, sleep patterns, and any activities that are difficult for you to do. This information can help your doctors better understand your condition.
- Follow through on any referrals or imaging tests that your doctor recommends. These can help identify any injuries or conditions that may not be apparent on a physical exam.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company saying you’re “fine”. This can lead to complications later on. Instead, let your own insurance company handle the claim.
Be careful with early settlement offers too. Signing a release usually ends your claim to good, even if a serious injury is diagnosed a month later.
Protect Your Recovery Before the Full Picture Is Clear
The days after a motorcycle accident are when evidence is fresh and injuries are harder to see. This combination is exactly why insurance companies push for quick reports and quick settlements.
At Kitrick, Lewis & Staley-Sladek Co., L.P.A., we help injured riders document every injury, including those that took days or weeks to appear, and we deal with insurance companies so you can focus on healing. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a motorcycle accident, contact our office to schedule a consultation before accepting any offer.
