Motorcycle Accidents

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Motorcyclists are 32 times more likely to die and six times more likely to suffer injuries in motorcycle accidents than the occupant of a passenger vehicle. Motorcyclists suffer injuries or death in more than 80 percent of reported accidents. Why?

Motorcycle accident attorney Mitchell Proner explains that two factors come into play. First, the exposed nature of the motorcycle offers the motorcyclist little protection in a collision. A passenger vehicle surrounds occupants in a steel shell that provides protection against the impact of a crash. Seatbelts and airbags cushion the G-forces and restrain occupants of a passenger vehicle both from coming into contact with crushing steel and from being ejected from the vehicle. A motorcycle has none of this protection. In the event of a serious crash, nothing holds the rider to the bike. The motorcyclist's body usually collides with the other vehicle, stationary object, or pavement, and the rider dies or suffers severe motorcycle accident injuries. Our attorney in New York cautions that riders increase their odds of dying or suffering brain damage greatly by not wearing a helmet.

Other Factors

The other factor that causes motorcycle accidents to be more severe than motor vehicle collisions is the negligence of other motorists. More than 75 percent of motorcycle fatalities in two-vehicle accidents occur as a result of front-impact collision. Motorcycles have a much smaller, much slimmer visual footprint than an automobile. Because of this, often motorists simply don't see the motorcyclist before pulling into traffic or making a quick maneuver. They glance quickly and do not take in the full scope of oncoming traffic or the vehicles that surround them. When drivers fail to see a motorcycle, their negligence can have terrible consequences for the motorcyclist.

Learn More about Motorcycle Accidents

In cases such as these, the driver of the automobile or other motor vehicle has a clear obligation to compensate the motorcyclist, or, in the event of a fatal accident, the motorcyclist's family. Insurance companies often balk at paying full compensation and offer lowball figures for motorcycle accident injuries and fatalities. Attorney Mitchell Proner, serving Manhattan, New York, and the entire nation, warns that if the motorcyclist or the motorcyclist's family accepts a quick settlement, obtaining further compensation can be difficult or impossible. If you or a loved one has been in a serious motorcycle accident anywhere in the United States, we urge you to contact a motorcycle accident injuries attorney at the law firm of Proner & Proner today for free case evaluation so that you and your loved ones get the compensation you deserve.