June 1, 2022

How Can Cars Cause Motorcycle Accidents?

The Montgomery County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. Can Help You Recover.

Motorcycles make convenient and fun transportation. When the weather is nice, you may find yourself wanting an hour on the road with the wind in your face.

While you know how to stay safe on your motorcycle, and are prepared to handle different situations, you cannot control other drivers. Unfortunately, drivers of cars are more likely to cause an accident with you than you are to cause an accident while on your motorcycle. Because your motorcycle provides you with little protection, it is more likely you will suffer serious injuries. If so, you may be entitled to compensation from the negligent driver.

Motorcycle Dangers

Cars are made to protect. From space between the front bumper and the passenger compartment, to airbags all around the vehicle, cars and trucks protect passengers with multiple layers of protection.

By their very nature, motorcycles provide almost no protection for the rider. Because of this, motorcycles provide riders with no safety, resulting in serious injuries with almost every accident. This is why motorcycle riders are often some of the most cautious and well-trained drivers on the road.

Motorcycle riders are involved in fewer accidents than people in cars, but because the motorcycle provides so little protection, motorcycle riders suffer higher rates of fatalities.

What Causes Motorcycle Accidents?

While motorcycle accidents have countless causes, just like car accidents, there are several common causes. These include:

  • Lane changes: Motorcycles are smaller than regular cars. For many drivers, a motorcycle can sit in the car’s blind spot, leading to a collision if the car driver changes lanes without checking twice for a motorcycle.
  • Open car doors: When a driver parks their car, especially on the street, they often do not look as they open their door to get out. Unfortunately, that could lead to striking a motorcycle as it goes by, leading to serious injuries for the rider.
  • Speeding: Car drivers often speed and, when they are traveling at high rates of speed, it takes them longer to slow down to avoid a crash. If they see a motorcycle at the last second, they may not have enough time to slow down before impacting the motorcycle.
  • Running a red light or stop sign: Because cars are much larger and heavier than motorcycles, if they run a stoplight or stop sign, they could impact a motorcycle with deadly consequences.
  • Failure to yield: When turning out of a parking lot or store, a car driver may look briefly to see if the lane is clear to turn onto the road. But if they look too briefly, they will not see a motorcycle and turn directly into the path of the rider.

What to Do if You Have Been Injured?

If you were riding a motorcycle and a vehicle hit you, you may be entitled to compensation from the negligent driver. While money may be the last thing on your mind after an accident, you could have serious injuries that require extensive and ongoing medical treatment. You may need to get money from the negligent driver to help you avoid financial hardship.

After your accident, make sure you keep all of your medical records and receipts. You will also want to keep any correspondence from the insurance company and from the police.

When the police came to the accident scene, they should have spoken with witnesses while you were receiving medical treatment. They would have compiled this information in their police accident report. While that police accident report may not have assigned fault to the other driver, it will be valuable and objective information, which could lead to a clear indication that the other driver was negligent.

You need all of this information to try to prove negligence. To show the other driver was negligent, you will need to prove they:

  • Breached that duty of care by driving in an unsafe manner
  • Caused an accident where you suffered injuries
  • Owed you a duty of care to drive safely

The fact of a negligent driver at fault might seem obvious to you because you were involved in the crash, but you will need more than just your word to prove negligence.

You should partner with an experienced legal team as soon as possible after your accident. They can be the legal advocate you need while you focus all of your effort and energy on your health and recovery.

Your legal team may try to get you compensation for:

  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of companionship
  • Loss of life enjoyment
  • Lost earning potential
  • Lost income
  • Pain and suffering
  • Present and future medical expenses
  • Rehabilitation costs

You can recover more than just economic damages like medical bills. Because your injuries are likely severe, you may be able to recover money for your lost income. Depending on your injuries and your recovery prognosis, you may not be able to return to work for a long time, if at all, putting you in a serious financial bind. Getting compensation from the negligent driver to cover your needs is your legal team’s goal. You need to focus on your health while your legal advocate works to protect your rights and get you maximum compensation.

The Montgomery County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. Can Help You Recover

Motorcycles are great fun but provide little protection when a car hits you. As a result, even minor accidents can cause serious injuries. Speak with the Montgomery County motorcycle accident lawyer at Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. today. Contact us at 267-861-7100 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation to learn more about how we may be able to help you get the compensation you need to help you get better. With offices in Philadelphia, we proudly serve Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Bucks County, Chester County, and Norristown.

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