Motorcycles – Failing to Notice Them On the Road

The driver of a motorcycle is held to the same rules of the road as any other motor vehicle, even though many other drivers do not uphold to that.

Drivers will often violate a motorcyclist’s right of way, causing the motorcycle to crash. Injuries sustained from motorcycle accidents are considerably more serious than those seen from passenger car accidents. Drivers should take careful consideration of a motorcycle’s presence and give them the same respect that they give to other vehicles. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast who has recently been injured in a wreck, get in touch with a Missouri motorcycle accident attorney. Motorcycles are a common sight on American highways. We need to demand that other motorists take notice of them.

“I Did Not See Him”

This past October, a young Texas cadet was killed while riding his motorcycle on a highway. A car failed to notice him and entered the highway directly in front the bike causing it to slam into the passenger side door. Sadly this is a typical motorcycle accident that will cause serious injuries or, like in this instance, death to the driver as he was propelled off of the bike and onto the pavement.

Failing to Yield

Failing to yield to a motorcycle is one of the most common reasons for an accident. Larger vehicles forget to check blind spots before changing lanes, or they will turn directly into the path of a bike, not noticing its approach. A motorcycle driver can attempt to make himself more visible to other cars by wearing bright clothing and utilizing the motorcycle’s lights at all times. A horn is also handy in alerting another driver that they are within striking distance.

A Missouri motorcyclist was struck by a passenger car that failed to yield to him at a stop sign. The force of the impact threw him off of the bike and he sustained multiple injuries, some of which required surgery to repair. A jury found the other driver to be negligent in this case and awarded the 55 year old plaintiff $142,000.

The Danger of Intersections

Intersections are undoubtedly the most dangerous spots for a motorcycle. The conflicting traffic and often times confusing flow of cars makes many drivers unobservant of an oncoming motorcycle. As a biker is considerably less protected than the occupants of a passenger car, the extent of injury is usually higher and sadly often fatal. Even with the right of way, a motorcycle rider should always take extra precautions and double check for oncoming traffic before entering an intersection.

Proving that another vehicle did not properly yield or obey a traffic signal is difficult if there are no witnesses willing to make a statement. In many cases an accident scene will need to be reconstructed by an expert in order to get a full understanding of exactly how the collision occurred. Contact Zevan and Davidson Law Firm LLC at (314) 588-7200 if you have recently been injured while riding your bike. We possess the know how and skills to prove liability and get our clients the compensation that they deserve.

Photo credit:  akeg