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When cars, SUVs, and trucks get into rear-end accidents, they are usually minor. However, if motorcycles are in rear-end accidents, it can be catastrophic. Even low-speed rear-end motorcycle collisions can have disastrous consequences.

When physics is applied to rear-end motorcycle accidents, such as “For Every Action There Is an Equal and Opposite Reaction” and “An Object in Motion Tends to Stay in Motion,” it becomes obvious why these accidents can be so catastrophic for motorcyclists.

An Object in Motion Stays in Motion

Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion deals with inertia. Drivers and passengers in cars, SUVs, and trucks may experience neck injuries from rear-end accidents because their vehicles will come to an abrupt stop, and they are restrained by seatbelts and airbags. Motorcyclists do not have the same protection because they do not have surrounding frames, seatbelts, or airbags. They can continue at the same speed as they were going when they were initially involved in a rear-end accident. Motorcyclists can be ejected from their motorcycles and strike a larger object or skid and roll across the roadway.

For Every Action, There Is an Equal and Opposite Reaction

Newton’s  Third Law of Motion explains the forces in an action, such as a vehicle accident, are equal between the vehicle and the motorcycle, and the force sent back into the vehicles (the reaction) is also equal but much more damaging to a smaller object, such as a motorcycle.

What Happens in a Motorcycle Rear-End Collision?

When Hit from Behind – The force of the rear-end accident is great. The impact of being hit from behind can lift the back wheel off the ground, and the motorcycle and motorcyclists are thrown backward resulting in the possibility of their bodies contacting the road.

When a Vehicle in Front Stops Suddenly – If a vehicle suddenly stops or cuts off a motorcyclist, the motorcyclist can crash into the back of the vehicle. The motorcyclist can fly forward off the motorcycle and suffer multiple points of impact before landing hard on the ground.

Common Motorcyclist Injuries

According to WebMD, the injuries commonly suffered in motorcycle accidents include, but are not limited to:

• Neck and back injuries – Neck injuries in vehicle accidents are caused by the head jerking forward or backward causing neck strain. The sudden force stretches and tears the muscles and tendons in the neck. Back injuries may be slipping vertebra (spondylolisthesis) at the base of the spine, or cervical radiculopathy which is damage or a disturbance of the nerve function where the nerve roots are compressed near the cervical vertebrae.

• Fractured bones – Fractured bones occur when the physical force exerted on the bone is stronger than the bone itself.

• Skull fractures/Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – Skull fractures are damage to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by the trauma of an accident. When skull fractures affect the brain, they are called TBI injuries.

• Broken jaws, noses, cheekbones, or other facial fractures 

"When motorcyclists incur these types of injuries, they may suffer from them over their lifetimes. The injuries are life-changing for both them and their families. It is important to first seek medical assistance, then contact the Florida accident attorneys at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. We aggressively fight for your rights under Florida law, and there are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you. We have won over $219 million in compensation for our clients, with multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts in numerous cases. We practice throughout the state of Florida representing clients in personal injury and wrongful death accidents. Please contact us 24/7 at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or contact us online at SpiveyLaw.com,” said Florida Personal Injury Attorney Randall L. Spivey.