Severity

motorcycle accidents different from other crashes

The biggest difference between car accidents and motorcycle accidents is the severity. Damages and injuries are frequently serious after a motorcycle crash. In fact, a motorcycle rider is 27 times more likely to die in an accident than a person riding in a car.

Yearly, 5,000 people die from motorcycle accidents in the United States. While these crashes are quite deadly, many riders survive motorcycle crashes. Another 90,000 face injuries from crashes. Serious injuries in motorcycle accidents are more common than in car collisions.

The following are a few of the reasons for the higher severity of injuries.

Lack of Protection

Motorcycles do not have the same injury protections that cars do. A “roll cage,” seatbelts, airbags, and other features protect car passengers. Motorcycle riders have helmet and nothing much else. Clearly, motorcycle riders are more vulnerable and open to the element.

Hitting the Ground

In many motorcycle accidents, the rider flies off his or her bike onto to the ground. This means the crash impacts the rider twice, the first from the other vehicle and a second from the ground. These impacts make motorcycle crashes even worse. A rider may use an arm to brace him or herself from the ground impact only to suffer a fracture from the force. Head and brain injuries are also commonplace from the force of the impact to the ground. A rider may also slide along the ground after a crash causing road rash to his or her skin.

Force

A passenger vehicle has more mass than a motorcycle. This one element means the force of the impact from a passenger vehicle will be greater and cause greater injuries. Even a low-speed crash with a passenger vehicle can cause serious injuries because of the vehicle’s size.

Experience

Many riders have their motorcycles as secondary transportation. They will drive their passenger cars as their primary vehicle on a day-to-day basis. While riding only on the weekends or when the weather is good. Therefore the number of hours on the bike may be quite low. An experienced rider may know how properly split lanes; drive in traffic or to lay down his or her bike to avoid a larger impact.

From a legal standpoint, many potential jurors have not operated a motorcycle. They have experience driving a car, though. There is a bias or prejudice against riders compared to drivers for insurance companies and jurors.

Don’t work with the insurance company directly. It will grow frustrating quickly. Instead, reach out to a personal injury lawyer who has worked with motorcycle accident cases. They will understand the major differences between car accidents and motorcycle accidents. Therefore, they’ll be able to guide you through the whole process.