Friday, January 27, 2012

Are Motorcycle Wrecks On The Rise?

By Brad Stewart


About 7 percent of all vehicle crashes are caused by motorbikes, even though only 2 percent of them are actually on the road. The top cause of motorbike deaths with the driver being at fault is driving over the speed limit, followed by excessive alcohol consumption. San Diego injury attorneys can help you with your claim.

Almost 50 percent of these fatalities did not involve any other automobile. But the majority of crashes that involved a motorbike and another car were the other drivers fault. This was because the driver was not paying attention to the road and another reason is that motorbikes are smaller than cars and they are not seen easily, especially in areas of high traffic.

In the past decade, the number of motorcycle wrecks dramatically increased, reaching to 100,000 in 2008. The fatalities also increased at the same rate but in the last few years, thanks to the introduction of helmet law in California and other states, the number of motorcycle deaths fell.

In California, for example, where the weather is usually ideal for riding, you will see more motorbikes than in any other state. So this increases the likelihood of accidents arising. If 100 motorbike owners only drove their vehicles about 3 hours a week, they would be less likely to have an accident than those who drove 20 hours a week. Another important factor of accidents occurring is the severity of the weather.

The economy, too, has prompted more people to ride, as bikes are notoriously fuel-efficient. That means more motorcycles are on the roads, but not all people ride them safely. Still, because of the nature of the vehicles they are riding, the vast majority of motorcyclists exercise safety while riding in traffic.

Because it can be difficult to determine immediately who was at fault in a collision, personal injury attorneys recommend that persons involved in motorcycle wrecks should never give any statement to the officers filing the report other than the bare facts of what they believe happened. Memories can be distorted by trauma.

Under no circumstances should the injured party give statements like I was not seen by the other driver or anything similar to make it sound as if you are guilty. People are only just beginning to accept that motorcyclists have the right to be on the public road too. Because of the bikes small size, it does not mean the accident has to be the riders fault. Some people still to this day tend to associate bikers with an outlaw image, and some juries have the habit of placing some of the blame on the motorcyclists.

If an individual has been involved in a motorbike crash, he or she should not turn down medical attention even if there are no visible injuries. The chances of sustaining internal damages to their organs or other parts of their bodies are high. It is imperative that the injured person seeks hospital treatment right away after the crash. This will not only save a lot of pain but also help the injured individual claim for compensation.

People in motorcycle wrecks should also seek legal counsel immediately before the facts become distorted and rearranged by the investigators and the other party's insurance company. They should never speak to an insurance investigator, but instead refer them to their attorney. They could be entitled to a large cash settlement and the insurance company's sole reason for speaking with them is to get them to say anything that will help the insurance company's case. They must trust only their attorney and no one else. A motorcycle crash without injuries is, unfortunately, extremely rare.




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