Minster Law Bike team leader and solicitor, Matthew Midgley, sees his pre-litigation fee earners routinely dealing with hand and wrist injuries as they’re a common injury for clients who have been involved in bike accidents.
If a person is unfortunate enough to be hit while riding a bike, the natural reaction is to protect themselves by putting their hands out to brace the fall, he said.
“Wrists invariably take the brunt of the impact in a lot of accidents and can result in painful, and serious injuries.”
So, it isn’t a surprise some of the most common injuries which occur in motorcycle accidents are hand and wrist injuries.
“While at Minster Law, we have a dedicated Serious Injury team to provide assistance to any biker who has suffered life changing injuries, it is the bike team who support bikers with a wide range of more minor injuries,” Matthew said.
This can range from minor grazing through to sprains/strains and fractures, which may result in permanent injuries with a degree of persisting pain and reduced movement.
“The wrist in particular is a vulnerable part of the body, where there is not a great deal of protection that can be provided by riding kit, as opposed to a chest or back protector – the only real protection is provided by gloves, which can range in length and thickness. “
“Winter gloves, by very nature of the thickness, provide much more protection than others, however, to an extent, the gloves may not add any protection beyond avoiding grazing.”
There is a fine line for the manufacturers of gloves between sufficient protection and limiting movement.
As such, Matthew said the wrists are somewhat exposed and form one of the injuries the team see the most of.
“While it is not ideal, wrists are one of the least protected areas of the body, conversely, increased protection could have the opposite effect of what it intends to achieve in that protection at a joint would invariably cause mobility issues and in itself be a contributor to an accident. “
“From a personal injury perspective, wrist injuries are covered by a multitude of case laws and in the Judicial College Guidelines which provide a helpful guide on valuations.”
This has become almost second nature for our bike team to be reciting the guidelines when negotiating the best possible settlements for Clients.
“I would highly recommend anyone who has been involved in a bike accident, who may need support or guidance after suffering a hand or wrist injury to approach our knowledgeable team,” Matthew said.
