Motorcycle Accident Injuries: What Kentucky Riders Should Know

• Road rash and degloving injuries, which can need skin grafts and leave scars. See scarring and disfigurement.
• Fractures of the legs, pelvis, wrists, collarbone and ribs. See broken bone injuries.
• Traumatic brain injuries, even with a helmet. See TBI.
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Brachial plexus and other nerve injuries in the shoulder and arm. See nerve damage.
• Internal injuries and amputations

• Photograph injuries regularly as they heal
• Keep your helmet and gear; damage shows the forces involved
• Follow treatment plans and attend every appointment
• Track pain, sleep and missed activities in a pain journal
• Keep receipts for gear, bike repairs and travel to appointments

Some adjusters assume riders are reckless. They may claim speeding, lane-splitting or lack of a helmet. We counter with the facts: witness accounts, video, crash data and reconstruction. If you weren’t wearing a helmet, see Kentucky’s helmet law. Under pure comparative fault, any fault assigned to you reduces your damages but doesn’t bar recovery (KRS 411.182).

Motorcycle coverage works differently from car coverage, so review your policy for PIP, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Kentucky’s tort threshold doesn’t limit claims for a motorcycle passenger’s injuries (KRS 304.39-060(2)(c)). Serious injuries often exceed the at-fault driver’s minimum limits, so underinsured motorist coverage matters.

Most Kentucky motor vehicle injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash or the last PIP payment (KRS 304.39-230). Use our statute of limitations calculator to estimate yours.