Your Vancouver WA motorcycle accident questions answered
In the event of a crash, most people on motorcycles are virtually unprotected. Unlike other vehicles, there’s no steel body with crumple zones around motorcyclists to help mitigate an impact. There aren’t any seat belts to restrain them or air bags to act as cushions either. It’s likely that within seconds after an impact, a motorcyclist will be hurled against either the pavement, another vehicle or a fixed object.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2013, a person was 26 times more likely to die in a motorcycle crash than in a passenger vehicle crash per mile driven. There were 4,692 motorcycle crash fatalities in 2014.
Common causes of motorcycle accidents
Even when their lights are on, motorcycles present a low profile in traffic. Other drivers just don’t see them. The overwhelming percentage of motorcycle accidents are with passenger vehicles. Most often, that vehicle turned left in front of the motorcyclist in an intersection. Those drivers often state that they either didn’t see the motorcycle approaching them, or they didn’t see it until it was too late. Other causes involve rear-ending collisions and vehicles changing lanes when the motorcycle is in their blind spot. Yes, loud pipes do save lives.
Common motorcycle injuries
The nature and extent of the injuries suffered in motorcycle crashes are based on many different variables, but the most common motorcycle accident injuries include:
Traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic spinal cord injuries
Hip, leg and foot fractures
Chest, shoulder, and spinal fractures
Arm and hand fractures
Severe road rash with infection
Why you need a motorcycle accident attorney after a crash
Serious injuries or death after a motorcycle accident leave victims and their families financially and emotionally flattened. You might be entitled to damages like:
Past and future medical bills
Past and future lost earnings
Pain and suffering
Permanent disfigurement
Permanent disability
Additional funeral and burial expenses in a wrongful death case
The insurer of the person who caused your accident wants to collect premiums and pay either as little as possible or nothing on your claim. That’s how insurance companies make money, and that’s how adjusters get promoted within the company. Without an attorney representing your best interests, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get fully compensated for the damages that you suffered because of the carelessness of somebody else.
There’s no reason to cooperate with the insurer of the person who caused the accident. It was their policyholder who thrust you into an adversarial system. Don’t give your opponent a statement. It will only be used against you in the future. Call CCRS Law at 360-869-0500 right away after any Washington or Oregon accident for a free consultation and case evaluation with a professional motorcycle accident attorney in Vancouver, WA