If statistics are any indication, motorcycling is one of the nation’s most popular pastimes. In 2009 close to 10,000 motorcycles were sold in the United States. Some nine percent of Americans own one, which means there are over 4 million motorcycles registered in the United States.
Though motorcycling can be a fun and rewarding pastime, it is important that motorcyclists concern themselves with the safety of their sport. Unfortunately, the number of motorcycle rider deaths is close to 30 times higher than the number of deaths of drivers of other kinds of vehicles, and motorcycles have a higher fatality rate per unit of distance traveled than cars.
Contrary to popular belief, which tends to imagine that the worst motorcycle accidents happen on extended road trips, the majority of motorcycle accidents occur during routine trips — short jaunts to the shopping mall or a quick ride down the street to a friend or relation’s house.
Death rates of these motorcycle accidents are on the rise. A brief sample of motorcycle deaths between 1998 and 2000 showed an upward trend in motorcycle accident fatalities. In 2006 alone, over 4,500 people were killed in motorcycle wrecks, and thousands more suffered permanent injury. Three-fourths of those accidents involved collisions with passenger cars or commercial vehicles.
Motorcycle accidents can permanently, and often fatally, injure the victims involved. Safety measures like wearing a helmet or fluorescent clothing often prove ineffective if drivers of other vehicles fail to take proper care themselves. And injury to motorcyclists typically results from such carelessness. In fact, 98 percent of multiple vehicle accidents result in injury to motorcyclists, many of whom followed the appropriate traffic regulations.
Injuries from motorcycle accidents can be minor but painful. Some of the most common injuries involve broken or fractured joints (shoulders, elbows, knees, wrists, and hips), and pelvic and shoulder injuries. Soft-tissue damage like scrapes and burns also frequently occur.
But minor injuries pale in comparison to the more serious — and often fatal — outcomes of motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of brain damage. One out of every five motorcycle accidents results in neck or head injuries. The type of head injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents frequently damage the parts of the brain responsible for speech and higher functions, leaving the injured motorcyclist disabled for life and burdened with mounting medical bills for ongoing treatment.
Determining the cause of fault in a motorcycle accident is a highly specialized process. The attorneys at Wattel & York will work vigorously to determine the cause of fault in your motorcycle accident. If your accident involves a motor vehicle, fault is usually determined by the law of negligence. Motorists must exercise a standard called “reasonable care under the circumstances” when driving. The law of negligence states that if a motorist fails to exercise this standard and negligently operates a vehicle in such a manner as to inflict damage to another person or property, then the person guilty of negligence must make restitution for this or her act of negligence.
An act of negligence can be due to a multitude of factors, including:
- Failure to signal when turning;
- Drug or alcohol abuse;
- Excessive speed;
- Failure to heed traffic signals or signs.
If you find yourself the victim of a motorcycle accident, consult attorneys trained in the rules and regulations governing motorcycle accidents. At Wattel & York, Attorneys At Law, we have extensive experience handling traffic-related accident cases. We go the extra mile, taking pains to investigate the possible causes of your motorcycle accident so that you receive full compensation for any pain and suffering you have endured.
But our services go beyond simply ensuring that you receive adequate compensation for injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Wattel & York will also seek out the appropriate medical specialist for your injuries and will work with that specialist to ensure that payment for his or her services is delayed until your case is completed by settlement or trial.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a motorcycle accident, call the Tucson motorcycle accident lawyers at Wattel & York, Attorneys At Law toll-free at (877) 572-4143, or submit a simple case form on our website.
An initial consultation is free of charge. If we take your case, we work on a contingent-fee basis. That means you pay us only if you receive a monetary reward or recovery of fees. Don’t wait any longer; a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations in your state expires. Call a Phoenix motorcycle accident attorney now, because you may have a valid claim entitling you to compensation for the injuries, pain, and suffering a motorcycle accident has caused you.
