Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents are quite common on the roads today. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 4985 riders were killed on the road in 2018. Though driving a motorcycle can be fun, it can also be dangerous, and it is important to take enough precautions when riding one. 

Knowing the causes of motorcycle accidents will help you stay alert on the road and also know how best to avoid such accidents.

Here is a list of some of the common causes of motorcycle accidents on the roads today.

Speeding

This is one of the leading causes of accidents. Many motorcycles are fast, and the rider can easily speed if not careful. However, speeding affects your ability to see or react to other drivers' mistakes in time to help avoid a collision. 

Therefore, speeding can result in a head-on collision or other types of accidents. And the higher the speed, the more significant the impact of the crash and the more severe the effects.

Unsafe Lane Changes

There are rules on how to change lanes while riding your bike safely. Unsafe lane changes can risk collision with other road users. A driver needs to check the blind spots and practice safe driving.

Lane Splitting

In most states, it is illegal to drive between two lanes. While this can help you avoid traffic jams, it puts the driver very close to cars, and should there be any sudden movement from the vehicles, the rider will not have enough time to react and an accident will ensue.




Lane splitting is risky because the rider is in close proximity with the cars, and the reduced amount of space makes it very hard to maneuver. Vehicles also do not anticipate that motorcyclists will try to pass them in traffic and not pay attention.

Left Hand Turns

This accident can be fatal because of the impact. Left-hand-turn car accidents occur when a car fails to indicate when making a left-hand turn or when the motorcyclist attempts to overtake a vehicle that is waiting to make a left-hand turn from behind.

Left-hand turn accidents also occur when the rider is going straight through an intersection or when passing it. Though accidents between cars are more common, motorcycles are more vulnerable because they are smaller in size.

Unsafe Road Conditions

The presence of potholes, debris, crumbling pavements, and lack of the necessary safety signals can increase the chances of a cyclist losing control resulting in an accident.

Distractions and Driving While Intoxicated

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is also a common cause of motorcycle accidents. It can cause head-on collisions, rear endings, or hitting stationary objects and can be fatal.




Riders who cause accidents when intoxicated can face both criminal liability and civil cases.

Sudden Stops and Car Doors

There are accidents that occur when a car driver or passenger opens a door on a motorcycle rider's path. The driver can slam into the door, and this can result in serious injuries. 

Car door accidents are very common when lane splitting. Riders who follow vehicles too closely are at risk of rear-end accidents should the cars come to an abrupt stop.

Hire a Lawyer if You Have Been in a Motorcycle Accident

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you should hire a personal injury lawyer, like those at Albright, Stoddard, Warnick & Albright to help you with your settlement or defense. A lawyer will gather all the evidence necessary to defend you.

How Does Motorcycle Insurance Work and What is its Value?

In case of a motorcycle accident, two things are taken into consideration: the liability and the damages. These two aspects are worth the most when claiming motorcycle insurance. 

Liability

Liability means determining who was at fault during the accident. Now, the person who would be making the claim has to prove that the other driver was at fault or was negligent because of which he suffered the accident. 

If he cannot prove so, or if in reality, the other driver was really not negligent, then it means he does not owe the plaintiff anything and the case would not yield much.

Damages means, what injuries and other losses the plaintiff suffered due to the accident and the greater the injury, the higher the amount of compensable injury damages.

Taking liability and damages into account, certain situations can be evaluated for two wheeler insurance.

In case one is simply standing at the red light and is hit from behind by another vehicle, this is clearly a case of negligence on the part of the other driver. 

However, if the plaintiff did not get hurt or there was no damage to the motorcycle, then there would be no compensation. A nominal sum could be settled upon for the hassle the plaintiff went through but nothing more than that. 




The settlement amount would also be nominal one if in case, is spite of being in an accident which was quite damaging, the accident was not really the other driver’s fault. 

In fact, if it was the plaintiff’s fault, then the insurance company of the other driver is not obliged to pay him anything. Or, even if it was the other driver’s fault but the plaintiff is unable to prove it, the settled amount would be a negligible one.

This brings us to the next part of the discussion where we try to evaluate a motorcycle injury claim. There are two types of valuations: Settlement Value and Trial Value.

Also Read:- Third Party Bike Insurance Policy – a Quick Guide

Settlement Value

A is when one settles the case and this is done when one wants to avoid the risk of losing the trial and losing everything. 

In any kind of litigation, a middle ground is mostly reached through settlement predominantly when both parties have a strong ground and no one wants to lose. 

For obvious reasons, the settlement amount is much lower than what one would have managed to get if one had won the trial. 

On the other hand, the Trail Value is what one could expect if they are sure they would win the trial. 

So considering that one can prove the other driver’s fault and they also have reasonable damage to show, a trail amount could be quite lump sum. 

Special Damages

Damages in motorcycle accident cases are calculated on the basis of exact calculations- also known as special damages- they include employment benefits, medical bills and other financial losses that the plaintiff incurred as a result of the accident. 

Non- exact calculation- that is mostly considering the pain and trauma the plaintiff has grown through.

With all these aspects taken into account, one could say that motorcycle accident injury claims can be made successfully, provided one can prove it. 

After the accident, one also needs to act fast to gather evidence needed to prove the defendant’s fault and also submit relevant papers to prove that the motorcycle is theirs. There are many companies today that offer best two wheeler insurance.