April showers may bring May flowers but the warmer weather of springtime is also bringing more motorcycles to streets and highways across the United States. Indeed, given the fact that a large swath of the population of the country has been tucked away at home as the result of stay-at-home directives in recent weeks, motorcyclists from coast to coast seem particularly enthusiastic about hitting the road now that enjoyable springtime weather has arrived. With more bikes on the road comes an associated increase in the number of people killed and injured in motorcycle accidents.
Approximately 5,000 people are killed in motorcycle accidents annually across the United States, with thousands more injured and oftentimes seriously so. The lion’s share of those deaths and serious injuries are people on motorcycles and not drivers or passengers of cars, trucks, and SUVs involved in collisions with bikes. In addition, the largest percentage of these deaths and injuries occur between late spring and into the fall because of the more favorable weather conditions.
News Reports Illustrate the Primary Causes of Motorcycle – Automobile Accidents
There are a number of more commonplace causes of motorcycle accidents in the United States. In fairness, a relatively significant percentage of motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle events. The reality is that the motorcyclist is not necessarily at fault even when only a solitary bike is involved in an accident. Rather, some type of mechanical failure is the primary or significant contributing cause of a motorcycle accident of this nature.
When it comes to motorcycle–automobile accidents, some of the most frequent causes of these collisions include:
- Distracted automobile driver
- Inebriated or intoxicated automobile driver
- Improper and change by automobile driver
- Failure of car driver to properly yield right of way at an intersection
- Automobile driver operating vehicle at an excessive speed
Most Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Every year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) presents grim statistics about accidents involving motorcycles. The stark reality is that motorcycle rides are an alarming 26 times more likely to die in traffic collisions involving enclosed vehicles. Motorcycle rides are 5 times likely to be injured (many times seriously so) than a passenger in a car, truck, or SUV.
The NHTSA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified the most common injuries sustained by a motorcycle rider when in a collision with a car, truck, or SUV:
- Head trauma
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Facial injury
- Injury to appendages
- Broken bones
- Emotional trauma
- Permanent physical disability
- Permanent disfigurement
In a majority of motorcycle injury cases, a motorcyclist suffers more than one of the injuries identified on this list. A rider is entitled to appropriate, fair compensation when injured in this manner because of the negligence of another motorist.
Motorcycle Accident Wrongful Death Cases
An average of 13 people are killed every day in motorcycle accidents in the United States. In the overall scheme of things, there is no just thing as true justice when a family member if killed while on a motorcycle as the result of the negligence of another motorist.
Certain family members may be able to pursue what is known as a wrongful death claim or wrongful death case against the negligent motorist. The laws governing wrongful death claims vary from one state to another, a motorcycle accident injury lawyer being able to assist you in understanding your legal rights in such a situation.
If you’ve personally been injured in a motorcycle accident causes by someone else’s negligence, including another motorist or as the result of a manufacturer’s defect, a Doan Law Firm motorcycle accident injury lawyer can advise you on your rights as well as provide you a case evaluation.
A nationwide law practice, The Doan Law Firm has offices from coast to coast. You can schedule a no-cost initial consultation with a qualified, skilled, caring motorcycle accident injury lawyer by calling us day or night at (800) 349-0000. We can schedule an appointment at any one of our offices, at you home, or online via a virtual consultation.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee promise to you. We never charge a fee unless we win for you.