It’s the simple truth—drivers in L.A. can be quite reckless. If you are riding a motorcycle, you will have to be extra cautious. Here is some information about motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles that will help you avoid negligent drivers on the roadways.
Motorcycle Accidents in Los Angeles | Causes of Motorcycle Crashes
Most motorcycle crashes are caused by automobiles and only a small percent of the collisions are due to motorcyclists running into a median or something of that nature. It’s rare for a crash to be caused by a bike malfunction. Unfortunately, about half of the time, motorcyclists get into a wreck because of rider error, but just about as often, these motorcyclists have no choice but to lay down their bike and take a hit because of another driver’s error. Above all, the most common cause of collisions is when a driver doesn’t look for a motorcycle and hits them either while merging or turning. Because motorcyclists have roughly two seconds to react defensively in order to avoid getting hurt from another driver’s error, these crashes take place often. That is such a quick window of time for anyone to try to avoid getting hurt and it is especially scary for those who are on a bike with no addition protection from impact.
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Motorcycle Accidents in Los Angeles | Injury Statistics
According to California statistics, an average of 97% of collisions involving motorcycles cause injury and almost half of these injuries are serious. Half of motorcycle injuries are to the lower extremities of the rider, in those cases, not wearing a helmet won’t really matter in terms of compensation for your injuries. Another reason why these collisions prove to be so horrific is because our roadways are designed to protect cars, not motorcycles. There are bars up on the freeways that, if a car is rammed from the right, the bar on the left will stabilize the car, sometimes preventing worse damage. For motorcyclists, that bar on the road is just another hazard. If hit, they can be flung from their bike or crash into it with their whole body.
Motorcycle Accidents in Los Angeles | Taking Precautionary Safety Measures
Any way you put it, these motorcyclists are coming out of these wrecks in bad shape. There isn’t much they can do to prevent most injuries such as broken arms and legs, but there are some ways to prevent some injures. Wearing thick clothing can prevent road rash which can leave permanent scarring; some people wear leather gloves, jackets, and pants and others go for thick cut denim. Wearing a helmet is also going to be of benefit to the rider who does not wish to suffer permanent brain damage.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle collision due to someone else’s negligence, contact our office today for a free consultation. Our experienced Newhall motorcycle injury lawyers will help you recover the compensation you deserve.