Motorcycles and the Open Road

The sun is shining – not a cloud in the sky. You grab your helmet, gas up the bike and take off. You plan on having a nice, long ride and enjoy the scenery. There’s nothing quite like riding a motorcycle on the open road.

Unless, that road isn’t so open and a careless driver clips your tire while changing lanes. You fly one way while your once beautiful motorcycle flies the other. Your nice, long ride has ended with you as the victim in a motorcycle accident.

It’s true that since motorcycles are smaller than most passenger vehicles on the road, they can be harder to see. Drivers may miss seeing them in the blind spot as they change lanes or make turns. Plus, motorcycles are amazingly quick and can easily dart and dash between vehicles. Combine all of this information and you have a sad statistic that at least 80% of all Florida motorcycle accidents result in severe injury or death to the motorcyclist.

Many motorcyclists do drive too fast for conditions, or just drive too fast in general. They can crash on their own just by sliding on gravel as they round a corner or change lanes. However, reports show that most motorcycle/vehicle accidents are caused by the negligence of the driver of the other vehicle; not the motorcyclist. While that may be surprising to some, motorcycle riders will tell you they feel a palpable dislike by many passenger and commercial drivers. Some motorists will even try to run motorcycles off the road.

Nonetheless, whether a motorcycle crashes on its or as the result of another drivers carelessness, the cyclist can sustain some very serious injuries.

• Burns from sliding on asphalt, gravel or pavement
• Head injuries
• Broken arms, hands, legs, feet
• Back and neck injuries
• Death

In addition to their helmets, many riders wear heavy clothing, often made of leather, to help protect them in case they are in an accident. But the heavy clothing can’t protect you from the negligence or carelessness of the drivers around you. If you are hurt in a motorcycle accident, you’ll want to be sure to have an attorney on your side that is experienced in handling these types of case. You don’t want to lose out on being compensated for all your medical and financial needs.