Driving a motorcycle provides a sensory experience that can allow one to feel footloose and fancy free. Feeling the wind blowing on one’s skin, the open road beneath one’s feet, taking in the sights and smells—there’s just nothing like it.
As fun as riding a motorcycle can be, however, it is also risky. Motorcycles have high performance capabilities, and since they are less stable and visible than cars, accidents involving motorcycles can be more deadly than ones involving only vehicles. Indeed, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the federal government estimated that the number of fatalities involving motorcycles was 26 times that involving only cars (2013). Motorcycles lack the enclosed protection that vehicles have, making motorcyclists much more vulnerable to serious injuries. Motorcycle crashes also occur more frequently than car crashes. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2013, 56 out of every 100,000 registered motorcycles were involved in a fatal crash, as opposed to 9 out of every 100,000 passenger cars. However, the number of motorcyclists who died in 2013 was 4,668, down from the 4,986 that occurred in 2012.
Helmet use is a highly effective way for cyclists to prevent death or serious brain injury during collisions. Helmet use should be a no-brainer. According to IIHS, helmets are 37% effective in preventing death and 67% effective in preventing brain injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute (NHTSA), helmet use does not interfere with a driver’s vision or hearing.
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Even when every precaution is taken, motorcyclists are still at risk. Just a few weeks ago, a deadly crash occurred involving a truck and motorcycle wherein early descriptions indicate the motorcyclist was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. A 40-year-old motorcyclist was killed after crashing head-on with a truck around 5:45 a.m. on County Road 46A in Sorrento, Florida. The driver of the truck, a GMC pickup, traveled into the southbound lanes while driving northbound. The collision caused both the truck and the Yamaha motorcycle to overturn. The driver of the truck was treated for minor injuries and the motorcyclist perished. The accident remains under investigation.
The family of the motorcyclist may have a wrongful death claim against the driver of the truck. For information regarding who may file a wrongful death claim, click here. For information regarding what damages are potentially recoverable, click here.
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If your loved one is killed due to the negligence of another, as a motorcyclist or by a motorcyclist, call the skilled attorneys at Brooks Law Group. We can help determine whether you are entitled to any compensation. And if you are riding, remember: wear a helmet, drive at safe speeds, drive only motorcycles that have equipment like anti-lock brakes, and stay sober.
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