Motorcycle Accidents - We Understand the Risks

Motorcycle riders enjoy many freedoms that come with their choice of transportation. However, they are also left exposed to many dangers which are not faced by automobile drivers. Because of this, motorcycle operators are in a singular position while on the road. Motorcycle riders are more likely to suffer serious injury if there is an accident. This is at least partially due to the complete lack of substantial protection in between the road and a motorcycle. This is also due to the difficulty seeing a motorcycle which other motorists experience. These two factors leave motorcycle riders open to severe injury if there is an accident. All of this means that motorcycle riders need to know their legal rights and the available legal remedies if they have a traffic accident. It is quite important for you to consult with Carabin Shaw as quickly as possible.

Most Motorcycle accidents happen because someone or some legal entity was "negligent."

• The law involves a basic rule: If someone who has an accident was used less care than someone else, the less careful person or legal entity must pay compensation for at least some portion of all damages and injuries suffered by the more careful person. “Liability” or responsibility in a legal sense, in most accident claims is determined with these basic concepts:

• If the person injured was careless also, such as by failing to obey particular traffic laws, their compensation may get reduced, on a percentage basis by the percentage that the claimant’s negligence caused any accident. This is called "comparative negligence."

• If a negligent person contributes to or causes an accident while on the job for another person or business entity, their employer may well also be held legally liable for any accident. This legal issue can come up, for example, if a delivery van is working when it hits your motorcycle.

The following statistics show what risks motorcycle riders are faced with and the real need to make sure they can recover after accidents and that their other rights are protected:

• For every mile that they traveled in 1998, motorcycle riders were at least 3 times more likely to be injured and 16 times as likely as passenger vehicle occupants to die a vehicle crash.

• Motorcycle passengers are roughly 26 times more likely to get killed in crashes that passengers riding in normal vehicles and injuries are 5 times as likely.

• In roughly two-thirds of motorcycle crashes which involve another vehicle, the other vehicle violated the motorcycle's right of passage and actually caused the accident.

The unique and difficult problems faced by motorcycle riders include:

• Road Hazards: Hazards which are minor potential problems for a passenger vehicle can be a real hazard for motorcycle riders. These include oil slicks, puddles, potholes, debris, and other objects in the road, railroad tracks, uneven pavement and road ruts.

• Riding Skills & Familiarity: A motorcycle actually requires a greater level of skill and coordination to operate properly than a car. A great number of motorcycle accidents, in part or in whole, are caused by the rider's lack of experience, limited basic operating skills, or a failure to appreciate the basic inherent characteristics involved in operating a motorcycle and the basic limitations of a motorcycle.

You need an experienced attorney at your side when you have a motorcycle crash. At Carabin Shaw, we understand the unique nature of these accidents and the difference between motorcycle crashes and ordinary auto accidents. We are here to help.

Are you in Corpus Christi? Were you injured in a Motorcycle accident?

Give Carabin Shaw a call. We can help. Call us at 361.444.1111, local if you’re in Corpus Christi.