MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

Injuries resulting from a motorcycle accident can be some of the most serious injuries to sustain.  These injuries are often more severe, and deaths due to motorcycle accidents are more common than other types of vehicle accident injuries, for obvious reasons.  Motorcycles are simply not as visible as larger passenger cars, nor as easy to handle for most drivers.  Other motorists not seeing motorcycles when making lane changes or when entering and exiting our busy California highways is a common cause of motorcycle related accidents. 

In 2003 alone, over 67,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic crashes and 3,661 were killed.  This represents a twelve percent rise over the 2002 reported fatalities of 3,270 and a four percent rise over the 65,000 motorcyclist injuries reported that same year.

More than two percent of all registered vehicles in the United States were made up of motorcycles in 2002.  Of those involved in a crash, motorcyclists were six times more likely to be injured than passenger car occupants, but were shown to be 27 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than passenger car occupants.

Motorcycle injuries can be expensive, as well as physically and emotionally traumatic for motorcyclists and their family members.  The injuries sustained in a motorcycle injury can be extensive, to say the least.  Head injuries are all too common, as are other extensive injuries because of the exposure of the body when riding a motorcycle.  Emotional scars can be as difficult to heal from as the physical ones when a severe injury occurs, and all this must be taken into careful consideration before deciding to settle with any insurance company.

In addition to having to deal with the injuries and hospital costs, motorcyclists often seem to come against public bias when it comes to the issue of proving fault in many cases.  For this reason, finding a good California personal injury attorney who understands the special challenges the motorcyclist faces will be essential.  We at Estey & Bomberger can help. 

MOTORCYCLE LAW

Motorcycle laws vary from place to place, including laws regarding the wearing of helmets, rules of the road, such as laws regarding lane changing, for example, and when it's safe to do so, and privileges about use of the carpool lane in rush hour traffic.

Motorcycle injuries can be one of the most dangerous injuries to sustain.  These injuries are often more severe, and deaths due to motorcycle accidents are more common than other types of vehicle accident injuries, for obvious reasons.  Motorcycles are simply not as visible as larger passenger cars, and the handling of a motorcycle can be more difficult than a passenger car for most people.  Other motorists may not see motorcycles when making lane changes or when entering and exiting the freeway, for example.  Each year in the United States alone, well over 65,000 motorcycle-related injuries have been reported since 2002.

Some other facts you should know about motorcycles:

In 2003 alone, over 67,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic crashes and 3,661 were killed.  This represents a twelve percent rise over the 2002 reported fatalities of 3,270 and a four percent rise over the 65,000 motorcyclist injuries reported that same year.

• Since the Highway Safety and National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 was enacted, more than 123,000 motorcyclists have died in traffic crashes. 

• More than two percent of all registered vehicles in the United States were made up of motorcycles in 2002.  Of those involved in a crash, motorcyclists were six times more likely to be injured than passenger car occupants, but were shown to be 27 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than passenger car occupants.

• In 2003, motorcycle fatalities accounted for nine percent of all traffic fatalities.  One half of all fatal crashes that year collided with another vehicle. 

• In two-vehicle crashes, seventy-eight percent of the crashes involved impact from the front, while only five percent were struck in the rear of the motorcycle.

• Compared to other vehicles, motorcycles are more likely to be involved in a fatal collision with a fixed object.  

Further, statistics show that approximately one third of cyclists that died in fatal accidents were speeding.  Half of those accidents involved alcohol, and another 640 were not wearing helmets.  Safety is obviously a huge factor for motorcyclists. 

Motorcycle injuries can be expensive as well as physically and emotionally traumatic for motorcyclists and their family members.  The injuries sustained in a motorcycle injury can be extensive, to say the least (head injuries are all too common), simply because of the exposure of the body when riding a motorcycle.  The emotional scars can be as difficult to heal from as the physical ones when a motorcycle injury occurs. 

In addition to having to deal with the injuries and hospital costs, motorcyclists seem to come against public bias when it comes to the issue of proving fault in many cases.  For this reason, finding a good personal injury attorney who understands the special challenges the motorcyclist faces will be essential.