Fort Lauderdale Accident Lawyer Discusses Auto/Motorcycle Accident Causes

Because the Sunshine State has such nice weather, many motorcycle enthusists enjoy riding along it’s highways and back roads. Weekends can be especially busy as bikers take to the highways with friends or as members of motorcycling clubs. The danger in riding motorcycles, though, is that when a bike and a car meet in an accident, the biker is usually the one who sustains more and greater injuries. Causes of these accidents can be partly due to cyclists sometimes neglecting to follow the rules of the road, such as when they weave in and out of traffic or cruise to the front of the line of cars waiting at a traffic light. Another part of the problem is that motorists often don’t see cyclists until it’s too late.

Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyer Joseph M. Maus reports that a study of motorcycle/auto accidents that was conducted by the University of Southern California, through funding by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, analyzed more than 4,000 accidents and found some startling information:

1. The likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents – 98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.

2. The use of the safety helmet is the single critical factor in the prevention of reduction of head injury.

3. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile.

4. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

5. Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

6. In the single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slide out and fall due to over braking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

7. In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

8. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.

9. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

10. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.

11. The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.

12. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.

13. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and in one crash out of a thousand, the crash speed was approximately 86 mph.

14. Most motorcycle riders involved in accidents have not had professional training in riding a bike: 92% of those involved in accidents taught themselves to ride a bike or learned from family or friends. Riders who have had professional training are not involved in as many accidents and, when they are, endure less injury than their untrained counterparts.

15. Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident and almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

16. The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.

17. Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely over represented in accidents.

18. Less than 10% of the motorcycle riders involved in these accidents had insurance of any kind to provide medical care or replace property. Mr. Maus says, “As a Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyer, I see cases like this all the time. I can tell you that the hospitalization cost alone of treating a severely head-injured motorcycle accident victim will easily be in the 0,000 to 0,000 range and that doesn’t cover the cost of the extensive rehabilitation services that will be required afterward in order to be functional again.”

The health care costs of a catastrophic injury like those that can result from a motorcycle accident are one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy. This is why you need to hire a good attorney who can help make sure you are fully compensated for your medical bills and injuries if you are involved in an auto/motorcycle accident. For more information, contact Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyer Joseph M. Maus, P.A.at 1-866-556-5529, visit his website at www.mauslawfirm.com, or email him today.