Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know, ow to Stay Safe While Riding a Motorcycle, Motorcycle Accidents Common Causes, How to Avoid Common
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| Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know |
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know | digitalskillsguide.com
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
Motorcycle Accident
You'll also learn about the most common causes of motorcycles accidents and what to do if you've been injured in one.
Motorcycle riders are overrepresented in fatal traffic accidents:
In 2019 alone, motorcycles accounted for 3% of all registered vehicles in the United States, but motorcyclists made up 14% of all traffic deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). And an estimated 84,000 motorcyclists were injured in accidents that year.
Motorcycle accidents, though not necessarily more common than other motor vehicle accidents, can be more shocking and devastating. But, they can also be caused by some unique circumstances
Riding a motorcycle is inherently risky. But safe riding practices (and helmets) can reduce the number of injuries and deaths.
This article will walk you through (and hopefully help you avoid) common kinds of motorcycle accidents. You'll also learn what to do if you are in an accident and how to get compensation for accident-related losses and many more concerning motorcycle accident.
Below is detailed information about motorcycle accidents: everything you need to know.
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know Table of Contents
1. What is Motorcycle Accident?
2. How to Stay Safe While Riding a Motorcycle
3. Motorcycle Accidents Common Causes
3.1 Cars Making Left-Hand Turns
3.2 Collisions
3.2.1 Motorcycles in Head-On Collisions
3.2.2 Collisions Between Motorcycles and Fixed Objects
3.3 Road hazards
3.4 Motorcycle Lane Splitting
3.5 Motorcyclist Riding Behaviors
3.6 Alcohol Use
3.7 Speeding
3.8 Not Wearing a Helmet
4. How to Avoid Common Causes of Motorcycle accidents
4.1 How to Avoid a Left-Turn Motorcycle Crash
4.2 Avoiding a Motorcycle Accident Caused by Lane-Switching
4.3 How to Avoid a Head-On Motorcycle Accident
4.4 Avoiding Lane Splitting Accidents
4.5 How to Avoid a Motorcycle Crash Caused by Intoxication
4.7 Avoiding High-Speed Motorcycle Accidents
5. Types of Damages in a Motorcycle Collision
6. Step to Take If You've Been Injured in a Motorcycle Accident
7. How to Handle Hit and Run Motorcycle Accidents
8. Filing a Motorcycle Accident Claim
9. Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries You Can Include in a Claim
10. How Much is a Motorcycle Accident Injury Case Worth?
11. Will My Motorcycle Accident Claim Settle?
12. Should You Hire an Motorcycle Accident Attorney After a Motorcycle Accident?
13. How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit?
14. Getting Legal Help After a Motorcycle Accident
15. Motorcycle Accidents FAQs
15.1 What is the most common cause of motorcycle accidents?
15.2 What are 40% of motorcycle crashes caused by?
15.3 Where are motorcycle crashes most common?
15.4 At what speed do most motorcycle accidents happen?
15.5 Who is at fault in most motorcycle accidents?
15.6 Where do 70% of motorcycle accidents occur?
15.7 What is the safest state to ride a motorcycle?
15.8 Do motorcycle helmets really save lives?
15.9 Where is the safest place to ride a motorcycle?
15.10 Do motorcycles crash more than cars?
Conclusion
Read Also: Motorcycle Accident Attorney 2022
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
1. What is Motorcycle Accident?
An accident happens when a vehicle hits a person, an object, or another vehicle, causing injury or damage.
2. How to Stay Safe While Riding a Motorcycle
Everyone knows that riding a motorcycle can be an extremely dangerous mode of transportation. There are a few basic tips every motorcyclist needs to know so they can stay safe on their motorcycle.
For starters, helmets really do save lives and they prevent serious motorcycle accident injuries. According to the IIHS, helmets are roughly 37% effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67% effective in preventing brain injuries.
Besides just wearing a helmet, there are a lot of other valuable parts south of the neck that can benefit from protective gear. Wearing protective gloves, jackets, pants, suits, boots, etc. can greatly reduce your risk of suffering a serious motorcycle injury, such as road rash. Chances are, you will fall off your bike at some point so it is within your best interest to be prepared.
Taking a motorcycle safety course is a valuable way to spend your time and money as well. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers courses all over the country, from basic beginner classes required to get a license, all the way up to more advanced courses that teach riders evasive movements and how to spot a potential collision. Constantly training your body and brain, while also educating yourself, is a great way to keep safe.
3. Motorcycle Accidents Common Causes
To learn about the unique risks and challenges motorcycle riders face, check out Motorcycle Accidents common causes.
3.1 Cars Making Left-Hand Turns
Collisions between cars making left-hand turns and motorcycles are common, and often deadly. In 2019, NHTSA reported that in nearly half of all fatal crashes involving a car and a motorcycle, the car was turning left at the time of the crash.
Cars turning left typically strike oncoming or passing motorcycles in intersections. Common reasons for left-turn accidents include:
- driver distraction
- low visibility (it's often hard for drivers in cars to see and judge the speed of motorcycles), and
- speeding.
Left-turn right-of-way laws are clear: drivers turning left must yield to other traffic. So, the driver of a car who hits a motorcycle while turning left will almost certainly be at fault (see below for more on the importance of fault in car accident claims). But motorcyclists might share fault in left-turn accidents if they speed, run a red light, or ride in the wrong lane.
To learn more about what happens when drivers share fault for an accident, take a look at Car Accident Defenses: Contributory and Comparative Negligence.
3.2 Collisions
Motorcyclists are uniquely vulnerable when they collide with other cars and fixed objects (like trees, guardrails, fences). Unlike passengers in a car, bikers aren't shielded by a box of metal, or cushioned by airbags. And motorcycles are much smaller and lighter than cars. Let's talk more about the most common types of motorcycle collisions.
3.2.1 Motorcycles in Head-On Collisions
According to the 2019 NHTSA report, just over half of the 5,114 motorcycles involved in fatal accidents included another moving vehicle. In three-quarters of those accidents, the car struck the motorcycle in the front. (Only 7% of motorcycles were rear-ended.)
Head-on collisions are one of the most dangerous kinds of accidents for riders because of the mismatched amount of force involved (cars typically weigh four times as much as motorcycles) and the lack of safety features on motorcycles.
3.2.2 Collisions Between Motorcycles and Fixed Objects
Motorcyclists were also more likely to die in collisions with fixed objects, compared with people in passenger cars in 2019. For example, motorcyclists can be severely injured or killed when they veer off a rain-slicked road and hit a tree or a fence. Of the 5,114 fatal motorcycle accidents in 2019, 23% were collisions with fixed objects, compared to 16% for passenger cars, 13% for light trucks, and 4% for large trucks.
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| Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know |
3.3 Road hazards
The driver of a car might barely notice things like uneven road surfaces, gravel on pavement, and railway tracks. But bikers need to be on high alert for common hazards like these. Because motorcycles are smaller and less stable than a car, irregularities and unexpected objects in the road can cause a motorcycle to crash. Learn more about common road hazards that might cause a motorcycle accident. (Some, like leaves, might surprise you.)
3.4 Motorcycle Lane Splitting
Most drivers have seen it: A motorcycle snaking between a line of stopped or slowly moving cars. The practice is called line splitting (or sometimes lane sharing or lane filtering.) Lane splitting is a common cause of motorcycle accidents because cars simply aren't expecting a vehicle to pass them in slowed or stopped traffic, and there is very little room for motorcycles to maneuver when they weave between cars.
As of 2021, only a few states allow lane splitting. If an accident happens when a motorcycle is lane splitting, there's a good chance the motorcyclist will be found at fault. Learn about potential liability in lane-splitting accidents.
Read Also: Why Is Florida Car Insurance So Expensive
3.5 Motorcyclist Riding Behaviors
Motorcyclists might not be able to control factors like road hazards, but they can control their own risky behaviors. Some motorcyclists (often young and male, statistics show) are willing to break the law and violate safety rules when they ride. Let's take a closer look at how motorcyclist behaviors contribute to traffic accidents.
3.6 Alcohol Use
Riding a motorcycle while intoxicated is incredibly dangerous (and it's a crime). Nearly 30% of motorcyclists in fatal crashes in 2019 were alcohol-impaired (blood alcohol level of .08% or higher).
3.7 Speeding
Light and more powerful motorcycles (like sport and supersport bikes) encourage speeding and other high-risk behavior. A full 33% of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes in 2019 were speeding. Younger riders are even more likely to be involved in fatal accidents while speeding. Half of all riders in the 21-24 age group who died in motorcycle accidents were speeding when they crashed.
3.8 Not Wearing a Helmet
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
One of the easiest things a motorcyclist can do to stay safe is to wear a helmet. The NHTSA estimates that for every 100 motorcycle riders killed in crashes while not wearing helmets, 37 of them could have been saved had they worn a helmet.
Some states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Other states require riders to wear helmets based on their age (similar to bicycle helmet laws). For a breakdown of helmet laws in your state, check out: State-by-State Motorcycle Helmet Laws.
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
4. How to Avoid Common Causes of Motorcycle accidents
4.1 How to Avoid a Left-Turn Motorcycle Crash
- A car is at an intersection, waiting to turn.
- There’s a gap in the traffic in front of you while someone is waiting to go.
- They do a last-second “look both ways” head-maneuver.
4.2 Avoiding a Motorcycle Accident Caused by Lane-Switching
Have you ever seen the sticker on a semi-truck that says, “If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you”? Well, that is how blind spots work. You should be able to see the car’s mirrors, and more specifically, the face of the driver; this means they can probably see you.
If you are in a blind spot, speed up or slow down to get out of it. Obviously, you cannot always notice or be sure if you’re in a blind spot or if the other driver sees you, so look for signs that a car is changing lanes:
- Their turn signals come on
- Their wheels begin to turn
- The driver begins to check their mirrors
- The driver swivels their head (an indication they’re checking their blind spots)
As with all these tips, be proactive, observant, and a defensive driver.
4.3 How to Avoid a Head-On Motorcycle Accident
The National Safety Council (NSC) recommends the “Four Rs” when trying to avoid a head-on collision:
- Read the road ahead
- Drive to the right
- Reduce your speed
- Ride off the road
Reading the road ahead is the same proactive and defensive tactics we have been discussing. Always be in the act of scanning the road in front of you while observing the hazards around you that can cause a motorcycle accident.
motorcycle accident crash
Some other things you can do include:
- Driving to the right implies that, if possible, be in the right-hand lane. If you are on a two-lane road, keep to the outside of the lane, which will put you on the right side of the lane and be safer from head-on collisions (and accidental lane changes).
- Reduce your speed if you notice the other car swerving or not paying attention. Bringing you to speed down by 30, 20, or even just 10 MPH can make a big difference between life and death.
- Riding off the road means you slow down and merge into the shoulder or grass to your right in order to avoid a head-on collision. This is another reason that riding to the right side can be so helpful.
4.4 Avoiding Lane Splitting Accidents
In Florida, the simple answer is don’t lane split. It’s illegal for a reason because it is most often unsafe and unnecessary. However, if you do lane split, make sure there is enough room for you to safely get through without hitting anyone’s car or side-view mirrors. Look for gaps in the stopped cars, as this is a sure sign that another car is trying to merge into the next lane. Also, follow the tips mentioned above such as observing head movement, the direction of the tires, and turn signals.
4.5 How to Avoid a Motorcycle Crash Caused by Intoxication
Don’t drink and ride. When you go from bar to bar or hang out to hang out, limit yourself to one beer or drink per hour and stop at three drinks. If this doesn’t sound like your ideal night, ride with everyone to the location then plan to leave the bike there and get home some other way.
Uber and Lyft rideshare apps are awesome ways to get home on the cheap.
4.6 How to Avoid a Corner-Turning Motorcycle Crash
The best way to avoid this common cause of motorcycle accidents is to ride at an appropriate speed. You want to travel at a speed where you will have time to react when you see a tight corner or a hazard coming.
“Slow In, Fast Out” is an effective rule of thumb. Enter a corner wide and slowly to increase your field of vision. Once you are sure you can handle the turn and there are no hazards, you can speed up and out of the corner. Paying attention to road signs and familiarizing yourself with the different types of signs that indicate turns or up-ahead hazards can be of great help. Also, be aware that debris builds up in certain areas of the roadway.
Anywhere that tires don’t touch often, like shoulders or sliver-shaped areas in a turn, can collect gravel or other small particles as tired push the material to that area. Have you ever noticed that triangle-shaped area of debris at an intersection? This is exactly what causes it and it can be slick.
Some riding websites mention advanced techniques for how to take a turn while going fast, but staying slow and careful is the best way by far. Only ride as fast as you can see and as fast as you are comfortable with.
4.7 Avoiding High-Speed Motorcycle Accidents
To avoid this common motorcycle accident, operate your motorcycle at a safe speed. Go the speed limit, but find roads with lots of turns and elevation changes to increase the thrill. If you need to satisfy that need for speed, look on the internet for special speed parks that allow riders to safely go fast on a closed course.
5. Types of Damages in a Motorcycle Collision
Motorcycle injuries can result in permanent disability, chronic pain, and a significant decline in quality of life. These negative effects are also accompanied by a myriad of other consequences both economic and economic in nature that make up what are known as damages.
The losses associated with a motorcycle accident are complex since it can take time to reveal the full extent of the total damages you have suffered. Understanding what damages you have suffered and calculating them accurately is integral when filing a motorcycle accident claim.
Economic damages consist of direct financial losses like assorted bills and expenses that inevitably arise when you are injured. Non-economic damages comprise of intangible negative effects caused by a motorcycle. Despite non-economic damages not having an easily assigned dollar value they nonetheless are just as significant as their counterparts. The following are some of the more common damages in motorcycle accident cases.
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced earning potential
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6. Step to Take If You've Been Injured in a Motorcycle Accident
Your first priority after a motorcycle accident is to make sure you and others involved in the crash are safe. Call 911 immediately if you need emergency medical attention. If you're not sure if making the call is necessary, call 911 anyway.
If you don't call 911, call the police. An officer will be sent to the scene. The officer will prepare a police report and speak to everyone involved. A police report can be very useful in settlement negotiations.
You can take steps to help yourself get full compensation for your injuries. You should gather potential evidence for your car accident case, including:
- insurance information for any person and vehicle involved in the accident
- names and phone numbers of all witnesses
- pictures of the accident scene and your injuries
- video footage from traffic and security cameras, and
- a copy of the police report when it's available.
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
7. How to Handle Hit and Run Motorcycle Accidents
Every state requires drivers to stop at the scene of a car accident. Hit-and-run accidents involve drivers who leave the scene of the crash without stopping to identify themselves and help anyone who might need assistance.
Hit-and-run drivers flee for all kinds of reasons. The driver might be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, have outstanding tickets, or fear going to jail for hitting a motorcyclist.
If you've been hit by a driver who flees the scene, don't follow the fleeing driver. Instead, call 911 if you need medical help and then call the police. A hit-and-run violation is a crime.
Immediately after the accident, write down as much information as you can about the driver and the fleeing car, including the license plate number (even a partial number is helpful) and the make and model of the car. Pay attention to which direction the fleeing car is headed and let the investigating police officer know if the fleeing car has accident-related damage.
8. Filing a Motorcycle Accident Claim
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| Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know |
In most states, the person who is at fault for the motorcycle accident has to pay (typically through an insurance company) for accident-related losses and injuries. Proving fault for a car accident means proving negligence (carelessness).
You'll probably be making your case to an insurance company first, not to a judge or jury in court. An injured motorcyclist might file a claim against one or more of the following:
- the drivers involved in the accident
- the owners of all cars involved in the accident if the owners are different from the drivers
- anyone who contributed to the accident (like a jaywalking pedestrian)
- the government agency responsible for road maintenance or planning if poor road conditions caused the accident, and
- the motorcyclist's own auto and health insurers.
Most car accident claims settle well before the case goes to court. But if insurance settlement negotiations break down or the responsible party's insurance coverage isn't enough to fully compensate you for your injuries, you can file a personal injury lawsuit. Learn more about steps in a personal injury lawsuit.
9. Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries You Can Include in a Claim
Many bikers suffer blows to the head in accidents that can cause permanent damage to the brain. These traumatic brain injuries can cause lifelong disability and easily ruin someone’s career prospects and quality of life. All of this can occur simply because someone decides to forego wearing a helmet. It is legal to not wear a helmet in Florida so long as the motorcyclist is over the age of 21 and has insurance coverage.
Other motorcycle accident injuries include:
Road rash: Motorcyclists can be thrown from their bikes in a crash and suffer road rash or road burn, as it is also known. This injury involves having the motorcyclist’s exposed skin sheared away by the friction caused by being dragged along the asphalt at high speed.
Broken/fractured bones: Broken bones are common injuries in many accident types but can still cause significant damage. Motorcycle accidents can cause enough trauma that whole areas of the body have several bones broken at once and with enough severity that a person has permanent health issues.
Internal injuries: Motorcycle accidents can cause internal injuries which can vary widely. Depending on the area and the severity of the trauma, a person can deal with very different issues.
Spine Injuries: Damage to the back is common in motor vehicle accidents. Motorcycle accidents are no exception and can involve especially severe trauma to the back that can damage the spinal cord. Injury to the vertebrae or the spinal cord can lead to sensory problems and even paralysis.
10. How Much is a Motorcycle Accident Injury Case Worth?
No two motorcycle accident claims are the same, so it's hard to predict how much compensation you will get for your losses (called "damages"). Most insurance adjusters (and judges and juries) consider:
- the seriousness of your injuries
- your past and future medical bills
- your prognosis (likelihood of fully recovering from your injuries)
- lost income (past and future), and
- pain and suffering (physical and mental).
11. Will My Motorcycle Accident Claim Settle?
Your chances of reaching a settlement agreement in a motorcycle accident case depend on factors like:
- how easy it will be for you to prove that someone else is legally responsible (liable) for your injuries
- the availability and amount of insurance coverage, and
- your ability to overcome anti-motorcycle bias.
Many people, including insurance adjusters, have preconceived notions about motorcyclists. They might assume that motorcyclists are risk-takers who are more likely to be at fault for an accident than other drivers. You'll probably have to overcome this bias with concrete evidence to get a fair settlement offer or verdict in your favor.
12. Should You Hire an Motorcycle Accident Attorney After a Motorcycle Accident?
After suffering an injury from a motorcycle crash, hiring an motorcyce attorney to represent you will protect your legal rights and manage the communications with insurance companies or other lawyers, on your behalf. This not only ensures that there is no incorrect information or errors made during your communication with these parties but gives you time to focus on healing from your injuries as well.
Once a motorcycle accident claim has been filed, your motorcycle lawyer can begin settlement negotiations on your behalf. Insurers or other parties must make all settlement offers through your attorney. Your motorcycle attorney will then present you with the settlement offer and can advise you of your best course of action. In many accident cases, a settlement will be reached during this time. If a settlement cannot be reached and a lawsuit is necessary, your motorcycle lawyer will be able to fight for you in court.
Having expert legal representation is vital to a successful personal injury case. Your motorcycle attorney will be at your side, investigating your motorcycle accident, and ensuring you are not taken advantage of.
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
13. How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit?
Each state sets a limit on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit (called a "statute of limitations"). The specific deadline varies from state to state and depends on the type of case you want to file.
In most states, you'll have one to three years to file an injury-related car accident lawsuit. You might have more or less time to file a lawsuit based on property damage only in your state.
The consequence for missing the deadline to file a lawsuit is harsh—you'll likely lose your right to sue and get compensation for your losses. When in doubt, don't delay and talk to a lawyer (see below).
14. Getting Legal Help After a Motorcycle Accident
If you're injured in a motorcycle accident, you should talk to a lawyer. An attorney who specializes in motorcycle accidents can help you handle your insurance claim, negotiate a fair settlement, or advocate for you in court. Learn more about how to find a personal injury lawyer and what to ask a potential personal injury lawyer. You can also fill out the form at the top or bottom of this page to connect with a lawyer for free.
Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know
15. Motorcycle Accidents FAQs
15.1 What is the most common cause of motorcycle accidents?
Hazardous road conditions - Dangerous road conditions, including slippery surfaces, uneven pavement, loose gravel, or debris on the roadway, particularly near construction sites, are the cause of countless motorcycle accidents.
15.2 What are 40% of motorcycle crashes caused by?
Approximately 43 percent of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve alcohol.
15.3 Where are motorcycle crashes most common?
Image result for motorcycle accidents
Intersections. One of the most common locations for motorcycle accidents is at an intersection. According to the NHTSA, nearly half of all motorcycle accidents occur at traffic intersections.
15.4 At what speed do most motorcycle accidents happen?
Image result for motorcycle accidents
Recent data for speeding-related accidents is difficult to find. Still, a 1980s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study concluded that 29.8 mph was the median pre-accident speed of the 900 motorcycle accidents studied. This indicates that motorcyclists often have accidents at speeds under 30 mph.
15.5 Who is at fault in most motorcycle accidents?
67% of fatal motorcycle crashes were caused by the motorcyclist. 53% of injury motorcycle crashes were caused by the motorcyclist.
15.6 Where do 70% of motorcycle accidents occur?
intersections
' Almost 70% of motorcycle accidents occur at intersections because drivers do not see the motorcycle.
15.7 What is the safest state to ride a motorcycle?
While you would expect Alaska to have the lowest rate of fatalities, the title of “safest” actually goes to Montana where out of a staggering 306,655 motorcycles, 23 deaths have been recorded for a rate of 0.75.
15.8 Do motorcycle helmets really save lives?
Motorcycle helmets are 37 percent (for riders) and 41 percent (for passengers) effective in preventing deaths. Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 69%.
15.9 Where is the safest place to ride a motorcycle?
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However, we can't always remain in rural or open areas, and there can be a certain appeal to riding through a busy city on a motorcycle.
The Safest Cities for Motorcyclists
15.10 Do motorcycles crash more than cars?
Motorcycle Accidents
The chances of a fatality in a motorcycle accident are approximately 30 times higher than in a car. Motorcycle accidents have a staggering 80% injury or death rate, while car accidents remain around 20%.
Conclusion
Hope you've been enlightened by this post about Motorcycle Accidents: Everything You Need to Know.
