ANATOMY OF A MOTORCYCLE CRASH

Thirty-five years ago, the landmark Hurt Report to the U.S. Department of Transportation concluded that about two-thirds of motorcycle-vehicle crashes occurred because the vehicle made a left turn across traffic directly into the motorcycle’s path. The situation is even worse today, because in 1981, about 95 percent of the vehicles on the road were low-lying cars or station wagons. If motorists could not see riders in those conditions, they certainly cannot see them on roadways dotted with large SUVs and pickup trucks.

These types of wrecks are so common in some countries, like Australia and the United Kingdom, that they are called “smidsy” crashes, for “sorry, mate, I didn’t see you.” Closer to home, many vehicle drivers make statements like “I never saw her” and “she came out of nowhere” when describing the events that lead to these crashes.

MOTORCYCLE CRASH INJURIES

Riders are 26 times more likely to die in these crashes than vehicle occupants, because while motorists are protected by multiple restraints and steel cages, riders and passengers are completely exposed to danger and are nearly always thrown off their bikes. Some of the serious injuries include:

• Broken Bones: When children break bones, they typically heal quickly with minimal medical intervention. But when motorcyclists break bones, they nearly always require metal pins, plates, or screws to set, and months of painful and expensive physical rehabilitation to regain function.
• Head, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Helmets protect the top of the head but little else. Almost any injury to the spine or neck causes at least temporary paralysis, and many vital areas are located near the unprotected front of the brain.
• Biker’s Arm: It is a natural reaction to use one’s arms to brace during a fall, and when that happens, the jarring impact often causes permanent nerve damage.

Compensation in motorcycle crash cases typically includes money for both economic damages, like lost wages, and noneconomic damages, like emotional distress.

LEGAL ISSUES

Unfortunately, because of the “motorcycle prejudice,” it is not easy for victims to obtain maximum compensation. This story is fairly typical, because even though the vehicle driver seemed to be clearly at fault, the reporter implies that the rider and passenger were not seriously injured and that the rider was responsible for the crash (he “lost control” when he tried to avoid the crash and it is “unknown” whether or not he was alcohol impaired).

An experienced attorney uses proven methods to diffuse the motorcycle prejudice, which is the belief that riders are reckless operators, without offending and isolating jurors, so they are inclined to award more money to injured victims.

REACH OUT TO ZEALOUS ATTORNEYS

Motorcycle crashes cause life-altering physical, emotional, and financial injuries. For a free consultation with an aggressive personal injury attorney in Schaumburg, contact our law office. We do not charge upfront legal fees in personal injury cases.