MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

Riding a motorcycle can be a great way to get around on congested city streets or get some fresh air on the open road. Riding a motorcycle burns calories, can be good for your mental health, and they get better gas mileage than your average car. However, the consequences of motorcycle accidents can often be very severe. Motorcycles do not offer the safety features provided by a typical car, which means that an accident that might have been relatively minor if it had occurred between two cars can quickly become life-threatening when a motorcycle is involved instead. That’s why it’s important to know an experienced team of motorcycle accident lawyers if you are ever in an accident.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT STATISTICS

Motorcycles are less crashworthy than a standard car or truck for a few reasons. They can’t offer features like airbags or crumple zones due to the simple fact that they are smaller than cars and not enclosed. Due to their size, it can also be more difficult for other drivers on the road to notice them, which can lead to collisions, or even hit and runs. Motorcycle riders are also more susceptible to things like rain or snow because of their exposure to the elements. Below are a few statistics that capture the danger that motorcycle riders face:

In 2017, 5,172 motorcyclists died in crashes.
Per mile traveled, motorcycle riders are about 27 times more likely to die in an accident than drivers driving a car or a truck.
Over the past decade, there have been anywhere from 80,000 to over 100,000 injuries stemming from motorcycle accidents on a yearly basis.

WHO IS AT FAULT?

In any motorcycle accident claim, a key component will be determining who is at fault. Determining fault is one of the main factors in determining who pays who and how much. Some of the parties who may be at fault in your accident include:

The Other Driver
It could be that the driver of other vehicle involved in your accident is the cause. This may be due to a variety of causes, including failure to obey the rules of the road, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or simply careless driving. These sorts of accidents can include rear-endings or side-impact collisions due to failure to check for clearance before merging. Most often, the fault in an accident will be distributed amongst the vehicles involved.
The Government Entity
Sometimes, accidents are caused by a third party, rather than the other driver. One such example is when the government agency in charge of maintaining the streets where the accident took place was careless or negligent. For example, a faulty streetlight could lead to a collision in an intersection.
The Motorcycle Manufacturer
In rare cases, the manufacturer of your motorcycle could actually be at fault. For example, if your brakes fail and cause an accident, and you can show that the manufacturer was negligent in producing those brakes, then the company may be held liable.