In Massachusetts, and played out at Boston Medical Center where such injuries are treated, the rate of motorcycle-related deaths and injuries among 55- to 64-year-olds has surged fourfold from 1998 through 2007, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, located in Boston -- the largest increase among all age groups. The second-largest jump was among the 45- to 54-year-old segment, which saw a more than 50 percent increase. The Law Office Neil Burns helps those injured in motorcycle accidents recover from the devastating economic loss that often accompanies serious personal and motorcycle injury.
A study was recently conducted by staff at the University of Rochester, and while the study didn't delve into the reasons for increased risks to older riders, one of the study's authors noted that the higher stakes are likely due to the body's overall reduced resources for withstanding injuries as we age, from thinning bones to less resilient tissue. Older riders are also likely to carry more medical baggage -- such as cardiac problems and diabetes -- and to be taking medications, such as blood thinners, that can complicate injuries.
Those conclusions jibe with what Dr. Jonathan Olshaker routinely sees at Boston Medical Center, where he is chief of emergency medicine. Particularly common, Olshaker said, are head traumas -- injuries that Gestring and his colleagues also found were more prevalent among older riders.
"The blood vessels over the surface of the brain, as you get older, they stretch more, and these vessels are what cause most of the brain injury because they are more susceptible to tearing under the force of injury,'' Olshaker said.
One factor older and younger riders may have in common is helmet use. Helmet laws vary from state to state -- Massachusetts requires them, but New Hampshire does not. Some riders say they eschew the gear because helmets block their peripheral vision.
