Motorcyclists are in a great deal of danger when they’re out on the road. Contrary to popular belief, they handle well, are much more agile than a car in many situations and, if the rider wears appropriate safety gear, most motorcycle wrecks do not result in death. What kills motorcyclists is the negligence of other drivers.
Wrongful Death and Negligence of Car Drivers
There are two very common types of wrecks that motorcyclists should be aware of. The first is having a car turn left in front of them, causing the rider to either have to evade the vehicle by crashing their own or causing them to go over the hood of the turning vehicle, potentially killing them. The second type of wreck that motorcyclists tend to get in are ones that involve vehicles not yielding the right-of-way at stop signs or yield signs because the driver didn’t notice the motorcyclist. Either of these scenarios can easily be pinned on the negligence of the driver behind the wheel of the car.
Motorcyclists have as much right to the road as any car. You’ve probably seen the popular bumper stickers that say, “start seeing motorcycles”. Those bumper stickers are designed to remind drivers that they’re not just looking for cars when they pull out into traffic, make a left turn, merge into a right lane or take any other action that could easily crowd a motorcyclist they don’t see off of the road. Not seeing other drivers on the road can easily be construed as negligence. When you are behind the wheel of a car, you are expected to behave in a safe and reasonable fashion to other drivers on the road. Those other drivers include motorcyclists.
Getting hit by a vehicle while you’re on a motorcycle can easily kill you. If you’ve lost somebody in your family or if you have suffered injury because a driver was negligent, contact an attorney.
What Can an Attorney Do?
The first thing that an attorney can do is take a look at the circumstances of the wreck and see what happened. If you’re dealing with a skilled personal injury attorney, they’ve probably seen the same kind of wreck you’ve been involved in before. There are some classic motorcycle/car wrecks that attorneys tend to see over and over and, when they see certain characteristics of the accident represented in the reconstruction, they can sometimes lock right on to where the negligence was a factor.
If somebody hasn’t respected your rights on the road, don’t let them disrespect your rights in court, either. Get an attorney. The medical expenses you’ve suffered, loss of property, potential loss of wages, pain and suffering, impacts upon your quality of life and, if the situation is as bad as it could possibly be, the loss of somebody you love, are all reasons to seek compensation in court. Speak with a good Houston personal injury lawyer right away; there are limitations on how long you have to take action in one of these cases.