Antelope Motorcycle Accident Attorney

When a car collides with a motorcycle, it is often the person on the motorcycle that endures extensive bodily trauma and injuries from the wreck. Take, for example, a motorcyclist who died after the driver of a Honda Accord pulled out in front of the motorbike.

The victim, a 51-year-old Monterey resident, was traveling on River Road on his Harley-Davidson when the driver of the Accord pulled out of his driveway and into the path of the motorcycle, according to the Californian. The collision caused the motorcyclist to be ejected from the bike. He died at the scene of the collision. The driver of the Accord did not suffer any injuries in the collision.

Data Shows Motorcycle Crashes Occur at a Disturbingly High Rate

More than five thousand people lost their lives in motorcycle accidents in the United States in 2015. That is only the third time in U.S. history that motorcycle accident deaths have exceeded five thousand in a year. Furthermore, the number of motorcycle deaths in 2015 increased by ten percent compared to the number of deaths in 2014, according to Consumer Reports.

Of the registered vehicles on the road, motorcycles only make up two percent of the total. However, motorcycle accident deaths account for approximately eleven percent of the total number of accident deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, NHTSA data indicates that if you operate a motorcycle on a U.S. road, you are thirty-four times more likely to lose your life in a traffic accident when compared to someone operating a sedan, truck, or SUV.

How Collisions Occur Between Motorcycles and Other Vehicles

Serious collisions involving a car and a motorcycle can occur in a variety of circumstances. Below is a brief overview of some of the most common causes of accidents between motorcycles and other vehicles.

• Someone following too closely to a motorcyclist
• Indifference or inattention  to the presence of someone riding a motorcycle
• Turning in front of a motorcyclist from a parking lot or driveway
• Making a left-hand turn right in front of a person riding a motorcycle
• Failing to yield the right of way to a person on a motorcycle at a controlled intersection
• Intruding on a motorcyclist’s lane while performing a lane change

If you or a family member was operating a motorcycle and got hit by a car in the following ways, you may be able to pursue monetary compensation through an Antelope motorcycle accident injury claim.

Areas of Body Most Likely to be Injured in a Motorcycle Accident

The Centers for Disease Control conducted a lengthy, seven-year study of over 1.2 million motorcyclists who were taken to emergency rooms for injuries stemming from a motorcycle accident. The data they collected shows that the area of your body most likely to be damaged in a collision is your legs and feet. Approximately thirty percent of non-fatal motorcycle accidents involved traumatic injuries to these extremities. Injuries to the head and neck were a close second (approximately 22 percent of the total, to be exact), according to RideApart.com. Other common injuries include fractured bones, lacerations to the face and other body parts, torn ligaments, head trauma (especially if the operator was not wearing a helmet) and spinal cord damage.

Five Reasons to Hire an Antelope Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

There are many reasons to hire an experienced Antelope motorcycle accident lawyer to assist in your pursuit of financial restitution for the damages you suffered from the collision. Below is a list of five key reasons why you will benefit from the counsel of a lawyer.

1. You should focus on your recovery and get your life back in order. Let a lawyer deal with the insurance company so they can work to get you the most compensation possible.
2. A motorcycle accident attorney has the resources to conduct a thorough investigation into what exactly caused the accident, including possibly retaining a private investigator and other experts.
3. An attorney can effectively evaluate your medical records and translate those records into compelling evidence that can be presented to a judge and jury.
4. An attorney can devote time to speaking to eyewitnesses and filing the necessary legal document to depose the other driver.
5. If negotiations with the insurance company fall apart, a lawyer will be ready to file a lawsuit in civil court and advocate for you at trial.

Swift Action is Important Due to Statutory Deadlines

Speaking to an attorney right away is strongly recommended because you only have a finite amount of time to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit. Under California’s statute of limitations governing tort claims, you only have two years from the date of the collision to file suit. The time is dramatically reduced if hit by a government vehicle. In that case, you have six months or 180 days from the date of the accident to file a claim. There are many other restrictive timelines that must be adhered to as well. That is why it is crucial to contact an experienced Antelope motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.

Watch the following video for tips on what to look for in a motorcycle accident lawyer.

Antelope Motorcycle Accident Attorney

I’m Ed Smith, an Antelope motorcycle accident attorney. If you or a member of your family suffered injury or death in an Antelope motorcycle accident, please reach out to me for compassionate, free and friendly advice. I can be reached at 916.921.6400 800.404.5400. It is free to call and discuss your case with me. When you call, we can go over the details of your accident and determine the best course of action for filing a claim for your personal injuries and/or wrongful death. Remember, I handle my cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no fees upfront. I get paid after the successful resolution of your case.

Proud members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See our past verdicts and settlements and our reviews on Avvo, Yelp, Google.

I have been serving my community as a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer since 1982.

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Editor’s Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 9.15.20]