With their weather conditions, Salinas and Monterey County ordinarily provide motorcyclists with terrific weather conditions. Unfortunately, motorcyclists and their riders aren’t built to withstand much if they’re hit by a driver of a motor vehicle. The physical, financial, and emotional damage from a serious motorcycle accident can profoundly affect a motorcyclist.
Martin Gasparian is the founder of Maison Law, and he has a thorough understanding of the causes of motorcycle accidents, the injuries that result from them, and what it takes to prevail in a claim or lawsuit against the insurer of the person who caused a motorcycle crash.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Salinas
On the road, motorcycles have low and narrow profiles. When reviewing a motorcycle accident police report, we often see that the driver of the vehicle that hit the rider either didn’t see the motorcycle at all or didn’t see it until it was too late. When there’s a crash between another vehicle and a motorcycle, the most common scenario is for the motorcyclist to have the right-of-way and riding straight through an intersection when another vehicle turns left in front of the bike. The most authoritative motorcycle accident study indicated that on average, the motorcyclist had less than two seconds to attempt to avoid the collision. Here are some other common types of motorcycle accidents:
- Lane changes when a driver is unaware of the fact that a motorcyclist is in the lane next to his or her vehicle.
- Failure to yield the right-of-way when the driver of a vehicle fails to come to a complete stop at a red light or stop sign.
- Right turns when the motorcyclist is traveling straight ahead with traffic and a driver making a right turn from another roadway turns in front of the motorcyclist.
- Rear-end crashes when a driver fails to maintain a proper interval between his or her vehicle and a motorcycle ahead.
- DUI accidents when the driver of a motor vehicle is under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both.
- Dangerous road conditions like gravel, water or spilled liquids are on the roadway.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Given a motorcyclist’s vulnerability, nearly all motorcycle accidents result in injuries of some kind. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration notes that motorcyclists are about 6 times more likely than the occupant of a car to be injured in an accident and 26 times more likely to die in a crash. Here are some common types of motorcycle accident injuries:
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
- Hip, leg, and ankle fractures.
- Rib fractures and damage to internal organs.
- Knee and shoulder damage.
- Road rash with infection.
Insurance Bias against Motorcyclists
There is a common belief by the public that motorcyclists are incorrigible risk-takers who drive too fast. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most motorcyclists are highly experienced riders. They’re mindful of the injuries that they can suffer in an accident, so they’re defensive on the roads when riding. Insurance companies want to perpetuate the bias against motorcyclists though. That operates to lower their exposure when an accident occurs that was their insurer person’s fault. Don’t let bias interfere with your right to receive maximum damages after being in a motorcycle accident. At Maison Law, when we’re retained on a motorcycle accident case, we begin hammering away at bias from the start of any claim or lawsuit.
Contact a Salinas Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
After being injured in a motorcycle accident that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, don’t give the opposing insurance company any type of statement. California law doesn’t require you to do that. Preserve and protect your right to compensation for your injuries. Contact Salinas motorcycle accident attorney Martin Gasparian at Maison Law as soon as possible. Once we’re retained, we’ll start working on eliminating any bias in your case and pursue the maximum available compensation for you.
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