Motorcycle Accident Lawyers San Francisco Bay Area Bike Crash Motor Cycle Accident Attorneys and Law Firm

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Motorcycle Accidents

Millions of motorcycles are driven billions of miles each year by motorcyclists. Some people ride a motorcycle as their primary (often sole) mode of transportation, while others ride occasionally for the sheer joy of it. Unfortunately, a motorcycle is no match for a car, truck, bus, or other motor vehicle weighing thousands of pounds. In an accident between a motor vehicle and a motorcycle, the motorcyclist is always the loser.

According to the latest data available from the federal government, there are nearly 7 million motorcyclists on U.S. roads. Data from the Federal Highway Administration reveals that over 5,000 people died in motorcycle crashes in 2007, and approximately 103,000 motorcyclists were injured in accidents. Three-fourths of the accidents are with a car, truck, bus, etc., while one-fourth of the accidents are due to bad roads (such as potholes or uneven road surfaces) or a fixed object. Motorcyclists are about 25 times more likely to die in the crash than persons riding in a passenger car, and are five times as likely to be injured in an accident.

The majority of motorcycle accidents are due to the fault of the driver of a motor vehicle who violates the motorcyclist's right of way. The two most common situations are where the vehicle driver fails to yield the right of way to an approaching motorcycle when the driver is making a left turn or when the vehicle driver is changing lanes. Because of their relatively small size, motorcycles may be hard to see by other motorists, particularly where the motorcyclist is partially or wholly obscured by other traffic or bad weather conditions. The problem of a hidden motorcycle rider is multiplied at night. However, this does not relieve the motor vehicle driver of his or her obligation ("duty") to drive safely and with due care.

Occasionally an irritated driver suffering a case of "road rage" will deliberately try to run a motorcyclist off the road or operate his or her vehicle such a way that to cause the motorcyclist to turn sharply to avoid an accident, in the process losing control of the motorcycle and going down. In such a case, the motorcyclist may be entitled to recover "punitive damages" in addition to all of his or her other damages. Punitive damages are designed to punish a driver for a deliberate wrongful act as differentiated from injuries due to ordinary carelessness ("negligence")

Motorcycle accidents frequently result in severe injuries to the motorcycle driver and his or her passenger. There may be broken arms, legs, pelvis, back, neck, and other bones; traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by the motorcyclist's head's impact with the pavement or asphalt even where the motorcyclist are wearing a helmet; and severe burn injuries caused by being dragged along the road ("friction" burns) or from a fire due to a fuel system leak or spill ("thermal" burns).

If you have been the victim of a motorcycle accident, you should promptly consult an experienced personal injury law firm. The attorney will be able to start an investigation before road conditions are significantly changed, and get statements from witnesses while their memories are still fresh.

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Motorcycle Accidents