When The Road Causes Your Motorcycle Accident

When you rev up your motorcycle on a public road, your life has now been placed in the hands of those who maintain it.

Motorcyclists are at a higher risk of having an accident due to a dangerous road condition than passenger vehicles. Certain things that do not effect a car, such as gravel, can cause a motorcycle to lose control and crash. An unanticipated sharp turn on a highway may send a bike off of the road. If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by a road hazard call a competent Missouri motorcycle accident attorney to review your case. You might be able to claim compensation from the government entity responsible for that roadway.

The Design And Maintenance of Roadways

You don’t often think about it, but when you rev up your motorcycle on a public road, your life has now been placed in the hands of those who designed it and those who are responsible for maintaining it. On top of driving safely and watching the traffic around you, you also have to pay close attention to the road itself and be prepared to avoid any sudden obstructions on your path.

The lighter and smaller size of a motorcycle coupled with the instability of traveling on only two wheels make them much more susceptible to crashes on a slippery roadway. Spilled oil or leaves on a highway can cause a motorcycle to slide, especially if the road is already wet. Gravel on a road is also a big hazard for a motorcycle, particularly when turning.

The condition of the road is not the only hazard facing a motorcyclist. Sometimes the design itself can make maneuvering a bike safely more difficult than a car. Last Spring, in Brooklyn NY, a father and daughter were both killed when the motorcycle they were riding crossed over the center line while trying to navigate a dangerous curve in the highway. This is a well known danger spot for accidents and the driver of the motorcycle was driving slowly through it, but even so, he still over veered and crashed head on into an oncoming vehicle.

Someone Maybe Responsible

The same is not true for a Missouri couple that was involved in a similar accident while driving their motorcycle on an open road. There was no sign in place warning drivers of an upcoming S curve, nor was the roadway adequately lit. Defensive maneuvers backfired and both husband and wife were thrown off of the bike into a nearby ditch. The wife died at the scene and her husband sustained serious injuries. A lawsuit was filed against the highway department for failing to address the hazard with proper signs and lighting and was settled during arbitration for $3.1 million.

The best defense against being injured in a motorcycle accident is to learn how to successfully navigate around hazards. Skill in motorcycle handling can help you survive a skid, wobble, or unforeseen turn.

Missouri Motorcycle Accident Attorney

If you do find yourself injured from a motorcycle crash and believe that the condition or design of the roadway was the cause of it, do not think you can not file a claim. There are government agencies responsible for not only maintaining our roadways, but ensuring that they are safe by design. Call Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200 and ask if negligence by one of these agencies may have caused your crash and if you can be compensated for it.