A common symptom after motorcycle accidents is swelling of the lower limbs. This swelling can result from many injuries and conditions you might suffer when you experience trauma. You do not even need to injure your leg for it to swell.
Regardless of the reason, leg swelling after a motorcycle accident can generate pain, limit your mobility, and even threaten your health. WGK Personal Injury Lawyers represents motorcycle crash victims in Baltimore, MD, when they suffer injuries due to another driver’s negligent or wrongful actions.
If you need legal assistance, call our law office at (410) 837-2144 for a free consultation.
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How WGK Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Baltimore, MD
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers has provided legal services to injured clients in Baltimore, Maryland, since 1977. Our attorneys have over 80 years of combined legal experience and have recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation.
If you suffer an injury due to someone else’s driving behavior, our Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyers can provide the following services:
- Advising you about your legal options
- Gathering medical records, crash reports, and other evidence
- Filing your insurance claim and negotiating for a fair settlement
- Taking your case to court if negotiations fail
A motorcycle crash can leave you with disabling injuries and significant financial losses. Contact our Baltimore personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to discuss how we can help you recover full compensation.
How Many Motorcycle Crashes Happen in Baltimore, MD?
The Maryland Department of Transportation maintains detailed car accident statistics, including motorcycle crash numbers.
In 2022, Baltimore City had 124 motorcycle accidents, including:
- Five fatal crashes
- 86 non-fatal injury crashes
Baltimore County had 193 total motorcycle-involved crashes with:
- 11 fatal collisions
- 138 non-fatal injury collisions
Between 2018 and 2022, Baltimore City and the surrounding county accounted for 24.4% of the state’s motorcycle crashes. They also experienced 21.5% of the state’s fatal motorcycle crashes and 24.0% of its non-fatal injury collisions.
Causes and Effects of Leg Swelling After Motorcycle Crashes
Swollen legs are common after a motorcycle crash. Statistically speaking, the most common motorcycle accident injuries involve the lower and upper limbs. One study found that between 48% and 59% of motorcycle accident victims injure their lower feet, legs, or hips.
This makes sense because most motorcycles require the operator and passenger to straddle the seat with their legs on either side of the vehicle. If a crash causes the motorcycle to tip over, a rider’s leg can get crushed or trapped under it.
As a result, the rider may suffer leg injuries such as:
- Burns from the hot engine or exhaust system
- Broken bones
- Abrasions
- Lacerations
- Road rash, the name for a friction burn combined with an abrasion
When a traumatic injury damages tissues, the body triggers inflammation. The tissues swell to reduce circulation. The swelling traps microorganisms that may have entered the wound so they cannot infect the rest of the body. The local body temperature also increases to kill the invading bacteria or viruses.
Thus, a primary cause of leg swelling after motorcycle crashes is leg trauma. But leg swelling can also happen for many of the following reasons:
Fluid Buildup
Fluid can build up in your legs due to inactivity. After you suffer an injury, bed rest can cause your circulation to slow. Pressure on your legs during bed rest also has the potential to restrict your circulation, leading to fluid buildup.
Blood Clot
The same conditions that cause fluid to build up in your legs can also create blood clots. The blood flows more slowly in your leg veins because of the distance from your heart. Also, your veins naturally have lower blood pressure than your arteries.
Under normal circumstances, the valves in your leg veins prevent the blood from flowing backward. But during bed rest, pressure on your veins can cause blood to pool and form blood clots near the valves. This blood clot blocks circulation, leading to swelling.
Infection
An infection anywhere in your body can trigger inflammation. Thus, even if you did not suffer a leg injury, a subsequent infection can cause your legs to swell.
Potential Complications of Leg Swelling
Leg swelling can precede life-threatening complications, including compartment syndrome or a pulmonary embolism.
Compartment syndrome happens when a body part swells so much that the internal pressure cuts off the circulation below the swelling. For example, swelling in your calf can cut off circulation to your foot. Left untreated, the tissue below the swelling can die, requiring amputation.
A pulmonary embolism happens when a blood clot breaks off and travels to your lungs. It lodges in the tiny blood vessels connecting the heart and lungs and prevents at least a portion of the lung from oxygenating blood. You can experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, and weakness from the lack of oxygen. Without treatment, you could suffer permanent lung damage or death.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Baltimore To Discuss Leg Swelling and Other Injuries
Leg swelling can signify serious medical issues that can jeopardize your health. Contact WGK Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your motorcycle crash and the financial compensation you may seek for leg swelling and other injuries.
