Motorcycle accidents can cause a wide range of injuries. While head and brain injuries often receive more attention because of their frequent catastrophic effects, the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents tend to affect the extremities, especially the legs.
Leg swelling after a motorcycle crash in Chicago, IL, can have many possible causes. If you’re experiencing this injury and need legal help, contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys at (312) 726-1616 to schedule a free consultation. You can learn more about how a Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer can help you seek the compensation you deserve.
How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help After Injuries from a Motorcycle Accident in Chicago, IL
For years, we have protected the rights of injured motorcyclists throughout Chicago, Illinois. Our team brings several decades of combined legal experience to deliver big results for our clients, including millions of dollars in financial compensation for medical treatment and living expenses.
Our Chicago personal injury lawyers can help you after a motorcycle crash by:
- Discussing your injuries and the details of your accident with you
- Analyzing your legal options and counsel you about how to proceed
- Preparing your insurance claim and negotiate with the insurer for a fair payout
- Taking your case to court if the insurance carrier denies your claim
Motorcycle wrecks often result in severe injuries since riders have little to protect them. But you don’t have to bear the burden of those injuries alone. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated Chicago motorcycle accident attorney to learn about your right to seek compensation today.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries That Can Cause Leg Swelling
Many common motorcycle accident injuries can cause the legs to swell. However, some of these injuries affect the legs only indirectly, so leg swelling is not always related to a leg injury.
Here’s a closer look at some of the possible explanations for swollen legs after a motorcycle accident:
Bruises
Bruises result from ruptured blood vessels, and the leaking blood causes discoloration and swelling. A motorcyclist can suffer bruises when their legs strike the ground or get pinned under the motorcycle. Bruises usually heal within a few weeks without any lasting side effects.
Burns
You may experience pain, redness, and swelling when heat damages your tissues. Motorcycle accidents can cause thermal burns when your leg touches the exhaust pipe or other hot surfaces. They can also cause chemical burns if caustic chemicals, such as gasoline or brake fluid, splash onto your legs.
A unique type of burn injury develops when you slide across the pavement. Specifically, friction combined with abrasions can cause an injury called road rash. This injury can result in skin damage and swelling.
Muscle or Tendon Strains
Strains happen when muscles or tendons hyperextend. The stress on the tissues causes them to stretch or even tear. The symptoms of strains include soreness, stiffness, spasms, and swelling.
Ligament Sprains
Ligaments connect bones at joints. For example, each knee has four ligaments to guide and constrain movement. Sprains occur when you hyperextend your joints, and the damaged ligament can cause joint pain and inflammation.
Blood Clots
The legs are prone to forming blood clots. The legs are so far from the heart that the pressure in your veins there tends to be lower than in other parts of your body. To prevent blood from flowing backward, veins contain valves that close between heartbeats.
The combination of low pressure and this valve function can lead to blood clot formation after an injury. The body naturally produces clotting factors to prevent bleeding. After a motorcycle accident, you might have increased levels of clotting factors that can lead to blood clots in your legs against one of the valves. Blood clots block your circulation, leading to swelling.
Heart Injury
A heart injury can lower your blood pressure. Again, the low pressure can cause blood to accumulate and clot in the leg veins.
Can You Sue for Leg Swelling Caused by a Motorcycle Accident in Illinois?
Under Illinois law, a negligent driver is liable for the losses caused by their actions. That means you can pursue compensation for medical expenses, pain, and suffering resulting from your leg swelling as long as you can connect the injury to your motorcycle accident.
To establish causation, you must show that the accident was both the cause-in-fact and proximate cause of your leg swelling. Cause-in-fact means the leg swelling was the natural and expected result of something that occurred during your accident, while proximate cause refers to an injury that was a foreseeable outcome of the at-fault driver’s negligence.
A Chicago personal injury attorney can help you better understand if you have any legal options after a motorcycle crash.
Contact Our Chicago Motorcycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
A motorcycle accident can leave you with devastating injuries, from leg swelling to brain trauma. If you were hurt in one of these crashes, it’s essential to speak with a trusted attorney to find out your best options going forward.
The skilled team at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys has extensive trial experience and can serve as your tireless advocate at every turn. Contact our Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys for a free consultation to get started today.
