Analyzing Motorcycle Safety - Learning about Common Types of Motorcycle Accidents

Are you filing a motorcycle accident claim, or interested in finding out more about how these cases often work? Reading more about motorcycle accident situations may help you figure out how an injury attorney or other legal professional might help you work through and resolve a case.

Regardless of what the average driver might think, there are some fairly defined causes of motorcycle accidents that account for a prevailing volume of these types of injuries and fatalities on the road. Most of them have to do with driver error and multi-vehicle collisions. They're not generally related to wild cards like poor road conditions or collisions with live animals. They happen in specific situations where traffic patterns make it difficult for motorists and motorcycle riders to watch out for each other.

Safety Statistics

A major safety study called the Hurt Report came out in 1981, and studies since then have generally supported the same types of ideas. One of the central statistics is that over half of all motorcycle accidents involve collisions with another vehicle, and that the remaining one quarter are mostly related to cyclists driving into some obstacle, such as a parked car.

Top Accident Scenarios

Experts have also identified some very common types of scenarios where these accidents occur. One prime example is in a left turn lane, where motor vehicle drivers find it difficult to look out for motorcycle riders. Another is in performing lane changes on the freeway.

Primary Accident Factors

In addition to these scenarios, there are also the driver conditions that account for so many accidents on the road, for motorcycle accidents, but also for other types of motor vehicle accidents.

Two of these are inebriation and driver distraction. Safety experts have known for a long time that driving under the influence of alcohol is a primary factor in a significant portion of traffic accidents, leading to state efforts to crack down on DUI and inebriated drivers. And now, driver distraction from cell phones and mobile devices is becoming the new safety threat that regulators are just now coming to grips with.

These are some of the things that motorcycle accident attorneys will look into as they take on a case to represent their client's best interests in a court of law. Injury victims rely on these professionals to help them understand their legal options, keep them informed on a case, and to use various types of research to build a case correctly. Understanding biggest risks and most common accident scenarios is one of the building blocks of this type of legal practice.

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