Motorcycle and Scooter Accidents
Motorcycle riders are in a unique position on the road. They enjoy the
freedoms that come with their chosen form of transportation, but they
are also exposed to dangers not met by automobile drivers and other
motorists. For instance, the lack of any substantial protective barriers
between a motorcycle and the road, as well as the difficulty that other
motorists may have in anticipating and seeing a motorcycle, leave
riders prone to serious injury in the event of an accident.
As a
result, motorcycle riders must be aware of their legal rights and
remedies if they are involved in a traffic accident. The risks
that motorcycle riders face, and the need to protect their rights of
recovery after an accident, become readily apparent through a review of
the following statistics:
- In two-thirds of motorcycle accidents involving another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle rider's right of way and caused the accident.
- Motorcyclists are about 26 times more likely to die in a crash than someone riding in a passenger car, and are 5 times as likely to be injured.
- Although the number of fatalities for drivers and passengers of automobiles and light trucks has been steadily falling since 1999, the fatality rate for motorcycle accidents has more than doubled in that time.
This is probably the most difficult auto case an attorney takes on. As a motorcyclist myself for nearly thirty years I well know the dangers of riding a bike or a scooter on city streets or on our overcrowded highways. When I take my annual trips all over the western United States and southwestern Canada the most dangerous part of the trip is leaving from and returning to San Francisco. I am always amazed at how little traffic there is once outside of California. I am convinced that all 38 million of us in California own a car. And some of the 2 year-olds are driving them!
Non-motorcyclists do not like those of us who ride motorcycles. Nothing causes them more frustration than when we "ride the lines" to get through bumper-to-bumper traffic or our ability to ride in HOV lanes while the rest are stuck in traffic during the commute hours. And this frustration comes out when I am picking a jury and my client is motorcyclist. I keep those people off my juries and make sure the rest of the jury knows why they are wrong. You would be surprised with the reactions I get when I tell the would-be juror that it is "perfectly legal" for a motorcyclist to "ride the lines". It comes with experience.
If you are injured while riding your bike you want someone who can empathize with your injuries and who knows what you are going through. Unfortunately, I have been injured on my bike and, more sadly, I lost my best friend in a motorcycling accident just out of high school. I will do everything I can to be certain that you get the medical care you need and that your get the very most you deserve from a sympathetic jury. You can count on it!If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, contact our offices today at (415) 395-9000