The Top Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Every day, Florida motorcyclists find themselves susceptible to serious, or life-threatening accidents. Because motorcycles don’t have the protective frame that cars and trucks are built with, riders can end up suffering more bodily harm, even in a minor accident. Sadly, even the most experienced rider knows that even if they do everything correctly on the road, there’s still a chance of injury.

In fact, motorcyclists are five times more likely to be injured in an accident than the occupants of a normal car. Worse yet, they are 27 times more likely to die in a crash than car drivers. These statistics don’t mean you shouldn’t ride your hog to Daytona or start riding altogether. What it does mean is that you need to be even more aware of your surroundings and the most common reasons why accidents happen to motorcyclists in the first place.

Here are the 10 leading causes of motorcycle accidents:

Inexperienced drivers: New and inexperienced drivers are likely to drive in a way that will make the road unsafe for motorcyclists.
Bad road conditions: Things like potholes, lack of warning signs, road debris and wet or uneven pavement can lead to a motorcyclist get involved in an accident.
DUI: Car drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol make the road unsafe for motorcyclists.
Bad lane changes: Some drivers fail to signal or check their blind spots when changing lanes thereby increasing the chance of collision with motorcyclists.
Defective motorcycle parts: Motorcycle manufacturers can be held liable for poorly manufactured motorcycle parts that can lead to motorcycle accidents.
Speeding: This is a major cause of motorcycle accidents. Drivers that over speed will experience poor visibility and they won’t be able to react fast enough to avoid collisions. The implication is that the impact of the collision will be greater and more severe due to the speed.
Sudden Stopping: Motorcycle accidents can occur if a vehicle stops abruptly causing a motorcycle to hit it.
Bad left turns: Some drivers veer too far into neighbouring lanes and fail to make safe left turns since they get confused by the distance thereby causing accidents that could be fatal to a motorcyclist.
Lane Splitting: Some motorcyclists drive between two lanes of traffic. These accidents can be fatal especially for inexperienced motorcyclists.
Sudden opening of car doors: Some drivers or passengers open their car door abruptly causing oncoming motorcyclists to hit the car door resulting in severe or fatal accidents.

Motorcycle accidents are often severe and can result in spinal cord injuries, brain damage, loss of limbs, other severe effects or death. These injuries frequently require the victim to spend their lives undergoing medical treatment that cost a lot of money.

If you or any member of your friends and family have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you can contact Gallagher and Hagopian. We have attorneys who know the law and how to deal with insurance companies when a motorcycle is involved in an accident. If you allow us to handle your case, you could receive compensation for your medical bills, lost earning capacity, lost wages, rehabilitation cost, etc.

Gallagher and Hagopian: Call: (888) 280-4878 | Local: (941) 727-6944 | E-mail: Info@hurtbyaccident.com