Common Factors Relating to Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists are at a heightened risk of injury due to their lack of protection. Unfortunately, a substantial amount of motorcycle accidents are the fault of the motorist as opposed to the motorcycle rider, which gives them legal grounds to pursue compensation for their injuries.
With the increasing cost of fuel, motorcycles are an attractive alternative to a lot of people. They cost less than a car or truck, they’re cheaper on gas and they can get you from point A to point B fast. Motorcycles are reasonable solutions for a lot of people who want to save money and enjoy the freedom of the open roads. Unfortunately, low cost and convenience don’t come without a price.

Motorcycles pose a particular threat for their riders because of their small size and lack of protection. A motorcyclist can be the safest driver but even they can get hurt when a motorist fails to see them coming their way. Of all motorcycle accidents, a whopping two-thirds of them are caused by
the motorist failing to yield the right of way to the motorcyclist. Sadly, a motorcyclist has an average of just two seconds to react to a dangerous situation and those two seconds aren’t usually long enough.

While car accidents are dangerous, motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die in a crash than someone riding inside a passenger vehicle and they are five times more likely to be injured in a collision.

Motorcyclists have three unique problems that set them apart from motorists, including visual recognition, road hazards and speed accidents. Visual recognition means that they are small in size. They can be obscured by other vehicles, they can be missed in bad weather and they can virtually disappear in a motorist’s blind spot.

With road hazards, what might be no big deal for a car can be a serious life-threatening hazard for the motorcyclist; for example, a pot hole can just be a bump for a passenger car whereas it can eject motorcyclists off their bike, even at low speeds this can cause traumatic brain injuries, paralysis or death for the motorcyclist.

Under product liability law, a motorcycle might dangerously wobble at high speeds due to a manufacturer’s defect. When an accident is caused by a high-speed wobble, the manufacturer might be held legally liable for any resulting injuries.

If you were involved in a motorcycle accident, it will be up to your personal injury attorney to help you determine liability. It could be the other motorist who is at fault or it could be the manufacturer, or even someone else. It will take a trained eye to discern the difference. You may be eligible for compensation that can pay for your ambulance bill, any medical costs, pain and suffering and lost income.