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Causes of Motorcycle Accidents: Updated Insights and Statistics (2024)
Motorcycle accidents often lead to severe injuries due to the lack of protective barriers between the rider and the road. Motorcyclists face unique risks because their vehicles are smaller, more exposed, and often overlooked by other drivers on the road. As of the latest statistics, motorcycles represent only about 3% of all registered vehicles in the U.S., yet motorcyclists account for 14% of all traffic fatalities. This highlights the high vulnerability of motorcyclists and emphasizes the need for awareness among all road users.
Motorcycle visibility remains a significant challenge. Because motorcycles are less common than passenger vehicles, many drivers are not conditioned to look for them, especially in blind spots or at intersections. In fact, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that approximately 42% of fatal motorcycle accidents in the U.S. involve a vehicle turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle. Additionally, motorcycle crash statistics from 2023 indicate that driver inattention is a primary factor in motorcycle collisions, and these incidents are often attributed to drivers failing to observe motorcyclists at intersections, lane merges, or during other maneuvers.
Motorcycle accidents can occur in a variety of scenarios, often due to the failure of other motorists to notice a motorcycle in their vicinity. Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to certain types of driver actions, including:
Given these risks, defensive riding is crucial for motorcyclists to enhance their visibility and reduce the chance of accidents. Motorcyclists are advised to:
Motorcycle accidents often lead to complex legal cases due to issues of fault, liability, and damages. Victims of motorcycle accidents may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Drake Law Group specializes in motorcycle accident cases and can help navigate the legal process to ensure that accident victims receive the full compensation they deserve.
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident and need guidance on the next steps, contact Drake Law Group for a free consultation. Our experienced team is here to help you understand your options and advocate for your rights in the face of challenges unique to motorcycle accident cases.
What Are the Most Common Motorcycle Injuries?
A motorcycle provides you little protection in a collision. This means your body ends up taking the full force of the impact with another vehicle.
Commonly, this results in life-threatening and life-altering injuries to motorcycle accident victims. In fact, approximately 5,000 motorcyclists were killed in collisions in just one recent year.
While motorcycles only comprise 3 percent of registered vehicles, motorcycle accidents cause 15 percent of all vehicle collision fatalities. Not every motorcycle crash will result in death, yet it shows the severity these types of accidents lead to.
Some usual injuries are:
That's not to say that survivors can never resume a normal life, but it may take some time and effort, including physical therapy. A motorcycle crash lawyer can help you recover the compensation required to pay for those treatments.
Liability for Woodland Hills Motorcycle Accidents
As these facts suggest, motorcyclists injured in crashes are commonly the victims of negligence. Every negligence claim is comprised of four major elements: a duty, a breach of that duty, an injury caused by the breach, and injuries sustained by the plaintiff. Drivers of motor vehicles owe a duty of care to everyone else that uses public roads. That includes bicyclists, pedestrians, and other motorists-- including motorcyclists.
When a motorist breaches that duty by being careless, inebriated, tired, or distracted, and ends up causing an accident which causes injury or even wrongful death to another person, the motorist might be held civilly liable to the victim. He or she can seek a negligence case with the assistance of a motorcycle accident lawyer in Woodland Hills.
A motorcyclist injured in a collision might have a claim if he can demonstrate that another motorist was at fault. When a motorcycle driver has obeyed all of the traffic laws yet is still involved in an accident, chances are that it has been caused by the driver of another vehicle. It could be not seeing the motorcyclist, speeding, being inebriated, or a combination of the three.
What Should I Do After a Motorcycle Crash?
If You Have Been Involved in a Motorcycle Crash, immediately contact the police to make a report if they are involved in a crash. This is particularly true if there is an injury or death.
If immediate medical help is necessary, provide what help you can, seek assistance, and call emergency medical assistance. If you are the one who is injured, you should seek immediate medical aid. Even if your injury seems minor and you do not need immediate help, it is a good idea to seek medical care, as some injuries are not immediately apparent.
Further, at the scene you should collect the contact and insurance details for the other parties. And you also want contact info for independent witnesses, as investigating law enforcement do not always collect that info.
Call a motorcycle crash attorney soon after the collision. We strongly suggest that you do this prior to talking to any insurance company.
Contact Our Woodland Hills Motorcycle Accident Attorney
After your accident, aside from talking to the police and receiving any necessary medical attention, you should call a qualified and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer with experience dealing with motorcycle crashes. Serving victims throughout the Woodland Hills area, the motorcycle crash lawyers at Drake Law Firm can assist you.
Too often, accident victims believe that an insurance company-- either their own or the other driver's-- will properly compensate them for any injuries they have sustained. However, lots of insurance companies are unwilling to pay, even when liability and injuries are obvious. This is particularly accurate when the damages are significant.
Even when an insurer seems responsible, beware. Many insurance adjusters will attempt to settle claims quickly. They will advise you to sign an agreement that will allow them to close the case-- and therefore reduce their exposure.
Even if the deal seems adequate or even generous, it is crucial to ensure your rights are protected. Contact a lawyer and make sure you know the consequences of the agreement.
The truth is, not all injuries are readily apparent. And for some serious injuries, even if you expect complete recovery, you can not be certain that the complete recovery you hope for will happen.
In those situations, signing a release of claims prematurely can reduce your settlement to an amount that is substantially less than what you need or what you legally have a right to recuperate.
And, of course, some motorcycle crashes are deadly. If someone you love has been killed in a motorcycle accident, get in touch with an attorney to determine whether there's a wrongful death action to pursue against a negligent motorist.
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