Avoid These Common Scenarios That Cause Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents have a tendency to occur based on a similar set of factors. Much like car accidents and truck accidents, motorcycle accidents tend to occur in certain common scenarios because of these similar factors. Motorcyclists and other drivers should understand common causes of motorcycle accidents. This will help them to avoid injuring a motorcyclist. By doing so, everyone who shares the road is safer.
Motorcycle accidents can be absolutely catastrophic for motorcyclists. They cause extremely debilitating injuries that can follow a person for the rest of their life. By contrast, the driver of a passenger vehicle often emerges unscathed. Motorcyclists don’t have to suffer the damages inflicted upon them by negligent drivers without compensation. Through a motorcycle injury claim, a motorcyclist can have the damages they have suffered because of an accident alleviated through a reasonable settlement. Consider speaking to a Minnesota motorcycle accident lawyer from Sand Law to help you with your motorcycle accident claim.
1. Left Turning Cars That Cause Motorcycle Accidents
Probably the most common cause of motorcycle accidents in the country is left-turning vehicles that don’t see incoming motorcycles with the right of way. When two cars get in an accident this way, the damage can be significant but for motorcycles, it can cause a severe accident.
The reason this motorcycle accident scenario is so common is due to the general lack of awareness when it comes to motorcycles. The primary issue for motorcyclists when it comes to avoiding accidents is visibility. Cars that make left turn collisions with motorcycles often do not see them coming. Visibility is actually a factor in pretty much every kind of motorcycle accident scenario.
2. Motorcycle Accidents due to Lane Switching
Switching lanes is an essential part of driving any vehicle on the road yet it can also cause many accidents. This is mostly due to the factor of visibility once again. All vehicles have blind spots where a driver can easily not see a car let alone a small motorcycle. Some vehicles like trucks and large vans have even worse blind spots at the sides towards the rear that motorcycles can slip into and be missed so that when a vehicle changes lanes, they collide.
Other times a motorcyclist can simply be changing lanes while another vehicle coincidentally does so as well so that they both collide with another. Motorcyclists should be aware of driver blind spots and drivers should always remember to utilize not all their mirrors and blinkers. It could save a motorcyclists life.
3. Head-On Collision Motorcycle Accidents
When a motorcycle crashes into another vehicle head-on it can often be fatal or at the very least, severely injure the motorcyclist. These accidents typically happen at very high speeds which coupled with the angle of impact can send motorcyclists into the air at high speeds, beneath a vehicle, or simply smash them across the front of the vehicle and likely kill them.
Motorcyclists should always remember how to make emergency maneuvers to avoid a possible head-on collision. A driver may fall asleep at the wheel or drift into another lane because they are distracted. In order to avoid an accident due to this negligent behavior, a motorcyclist should always keep their eyes not only on the traffic they are driving with but against as well.
4. Lane Splitting Motorcycle Accidents
The act of lane splitting is when a motorcyclist takes advantage of their vehicle’s size to drive between other vehicles and split the lane, so to speak. This maneuver is not legal at all in the state of Minnesota yet that doesn’t stop impatient motorcyclists from utilizing it to weave between cars.
By lane splitting, a motorcyclist is engaging in a reckless behavior that many cars that they share the road with will not be prepared for. Most drivers already have difficulty with motorcycle awareness so engaging in risky maneuvers only increases the risk of an accident occurring.
5. DUI Motorcycle Accidents
Driving under the influence is one of the worst things you can do short of actively driving on the wrong side of the road. It’s no secret that the effects of substances like alcohol and drugs have only negative effects on drivers and motorcyclists.
Motorcyclists that ride while under the influence of alcohol may experience:
- decreased reaction times
- poor perception
- impaired judgement
- decreased motor skills
Drugs like opioids that have become an epidemic across the country cause similar problems like alcohol. Riding under the influence of opioids is basically like trying to drive while under sedation. What happens often is people take substances together. It is not unusual for a someone that has been driving under the influence to have several substances that affect their driving in their system.
6. Motorcycle Accidents Due to Turning Corners
Corners are something that every motorcyclist has to contend with. They represent an opportunity to wipe out and crash when a motorcyclist loses control. Motorcycles have a good amount of control and maneuverability when handled properly but everyone can make mistakes. Not taking corners correctly can cause a wipeout. Or it can cause a motorcyclist to take a turn too wide and veer into the other lane which they sometimes can’t see because of the obscuring corner.
Sand Law LLC: Your Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you have sustained an injury in a motorcycle accident and you believe that you are owed compensation, contact Sand Law for a free consultation on your claim.
We are ready to sit down with you and hear the details of your case. We may provide some options for how you can proceed with legal action. Our lawyers are well versed in all aspects of personal injury claims. And we’ll fight for your claim so you may receive the maximum settlement. You don’t have to take on a motorcycle accident injury claim on your own. With Sand Law in your corner, you can be confident that your case will be given the best possible chance of success.