Valencia Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Why motorcycle accidents are different than automobile accidents

People who are involved in regular motor vehicle accidents have added protection from the automobiles’ cabs that surround them. By contrast, motorcyclists do not have a protective shell that surrounds them, making them much likelier to suffer severe injuries or to be killed when they are involved in accidents. In a study that was reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, for instance, the researchers found that motorcyclists had an injury rate that was three times higher than the automobile accident rate. They also found that motorcyclists were 10 times likelier to suffer injuries that were classified as severe.

Frequency of motorcycle accidents

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 4,976 motorcyclists were killed in accidents during 2016. These deaths accounted for 13 percent of traffic fatalities overall that happened during that year. In 2014, the year for which statistics are most recently available, the California Highway Patrol reports that 10,938 men and 1,934 women were injured in motorcycle accidents in the state. During the same year, CHP reports that 484 men and 33 women were killed in motorcycle accidents.

How frequently are motorcyclists to blame in accidents?

Many motorists have a bias against motorcyclists and believe that they are likelier to be at fault in their own accidents. However, a large study that was commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called the Hurt Report belies this belief. Among the findings of the Hurt Report, two-thirds of the accidents between motorcyclists and other vehicles were the fault of the other vehicles’ drivers. This means that in a large majority of the motorcycle versus automobile collisions, the drivers of the other vehicles are at fault. Since insurance companies understand that juries tend to view motorcyclists as risk-takers, they often attempt to capitalize on this by attempting to blame the motorcyclists instead of the drivers who actually were at fault.

Common causes of motorcycle accidents in Valencia

Among the many different potential causes of motorcycle accidents, the most common causes include the following:

• Unsafe changing of lanes
• Opening car doors in the path of oncoming motorcyclists
• Speeding
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Left-turn accidents
• Failing to notice traffic has slowed in front of the vehicles
• Defective road conditions
• Defective motorcycle components

Many motorcycle accidents happen when motorists turn left onto roads and fail to notice motorcyclists. They may also change lanes without noticing motorcyclists who are lane-splitting or who are present in the other lane in the motorists’ blind spots.

Common types of injuries in motorcycle accidents

Many motorcyclists who are involved in motorcycle accidents in California suffer severe injuries. It is common for motorcyclists to suffer multiple injuries when they are struck by other vehicles. Some of the most common types of injuries that motorcyclists suffer include the following:

• Road rash
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Paralysis
• Spinal cord injuries
• Crush injuries
• Skull fractures
• Serious lacerations
• Amputations
• Leg and foot fractures
• Pelvic fractures
• Internal injuries
• Thoracic injuries
• Back injuries
• Deaths

When to contact a Valencia Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you have suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident or have lost your loved one in a motorcycle accident, you have a limited period of time within which you can file a personal injury or wrongful death civil lawsuit. Under Cal. Civ. Proc. § 335.1, claims involving personal injury must be filed within two years of the date of the injury accidents. If you wait until after this time period has passed, you will be unable to recover compensation for the losses that you have suffered as a result of the accident.

Building strong personal injury cases that show liability in motorcycle accidents can take time. This means that it is best for you to talk to an experienced Valencia motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. This will give your lawyer more time to thoroughly investigate your accident and to gather evidence to strengthen your claim, which could help you to reach a fair settlement. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment so that you can learn more about your potential claim.

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