Take Motorcycle Accidents Seriously
Brian O Sutter
Motorcycle Crash
One of our specialities here at All Injuries Law Firm is motorcycle accidents. We’ve taken the time and effort to acquaint ourselves specifically with the details and nuances of motorcycle accidents because, unfortunately, there can often be very large, consistent differences between car accidents and motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents, statistically speaking, tend to be worse and far more damaging.Frequency & Vulnerability
It’s no surprise that motorcycles are seen a lot on the roads of Southwest Florida. The sunshine state has great, warm weather all year round, which makes it possible for motorcyclists to enjoy riding their vehicles without having to store them away for the winter season as riders in the northern half of the country must do. However, more motorcycles on the road also means more people at risk of getting into accidents. In addition, warm weather the year round also means a great frequency of storms and wet roads which can affect travel conditions.
This means that, unfortunately, if an accident should occur with a motorcyclist, the chances of an injury being serious are much greater. A motorcycle is, by design, exposed. Cars completely encapsulate passengers in a rigid frame designed to protect them in the event of an impact. Seatbelts keep passengers restrained and prevent further injury resulting from being thrown. Air bags mitigate any impact damage from forward movement into the dashboard or steering wheel of the car itself.
Motorcyclists have none of these protective measures in place. The best a motorcyclist can hope for is that the helmet being worn is good quality, and, if riding leathers or some other outfit is worn, this can help prevent scraping/abrasion injuries from sliding on the road. Otherwise, once an impact occurs, a motorcyclist is likely to hit an object without any additional protection, and may then be thrown.
Another major issue with motorcyclists is that they are often not seen by drivers in cars who, while they are on the road, are usually checking for other bigger vehicles. Some drivers also have a tendency to not realize or view motorcycles as other motor vehicles on the road, and do not give way to them as they would to another car, because they believe the same traffic laws don’t apply.
Major Consequences
The result of all this is that people who get into motorcycle accidents are far less likely to be simply “shaken up” the way a driver in a minor collision might be. There is a much smaller gap of circumstances for a motorcyclist that a rider could simply “walk away from,” and in most cases, any kind of impact can result in serious injuries.
There is, in fact, a greater likelihood of broken bones, traumatic brain injury and serious skin abrasion due to friction from sliding on the road. The potential for injury is heightened even more by the fact that motorcyclists in Florida are not legally required to always were a helmet, or wear protective clothing while on the road.
All of this means that if you are motorcyclist caught in a serious accident with another vehicle, get legal help immediately. The scope of the incident may require major financial compensation, and if it’s not your fault, your lawyer will make sure the responsible party is held accountable.