3 Key Motorcycle Accident Factors to Remember | Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Hyattsville MD
No one can say that they are the “best” motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD can provide, but when you’re involved in a serious traffic accident while riding a motorcycle, it’s important to know that you’re working with a top tier attorney. At Cohen & Cohen, we’re proud give our clients a motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD drivers can trust.
Motorcycle accidents can be especially traumatic and may lead to severe injuries and property damage. For seasoned motorcyclists, it may be easier to predict the ways in which a motorcycle accident can be just as bad as — if not worse than — a traffic accident involving passenger cars or trucks. For other individuals, it might not be so easy to see why experienced lawyers are essential for handling motorcycle accident injury claims.
Our legal team at Cohen & Cohen has gained a strong reputation for providing motorcyclists with a motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD deserves. We also believe it’s important that clients stay informed about common trends and statistics that may have factored into their accident — and which might play a role in their injury claim.
Motorcycles Are a Minor Part of Vehicular Traffic
Motorcycles are far from being the most common type of vehicle on the road today: According to 2013 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists accounted for 14% of all traffic accident fatalities and 4% of all traffic accident injuries in the U.S.1
Although these percentages may seem very low, a good motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD can trust will know that it’s important to put them into context:
- During the average year, motorcyclists in the U.S. only represent 0.7% of all miles traveled.1
- Measuring the risk of riding a motorcycle in terms of miles traveled, motorcyclists are 6 times more likely to be injured in a traffic accident and 26 times more likely to die.1
As these statistics show, motorcyclists are much more likely to be involved in an accident than other drivers on the road. While some motorcycle accidents are caused by the riders’ mistakes, a good motorcycle accident lawyer in Hyattsville MD will know that many other collisions are caused by other drivers. Experienced motorcyclists are often very aware of the risks they face while riding — and because of this, they may be more likely to take extra precautions for safety.
Helmet Use Is Important — To An Extent
Experienced motorcyclists understand that these vehicles make riding inherently more risky; the metal frame of a standard passenger car or truck provides a great deal of protection. Although the metal frame and glass windows of any car cannot guarantee that passengers will be protected during a car accident, they make it less likely that passengers will be thrown out of their vehicles during a crash.
One important reason to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD trusts after you’ve been involved in an accident — especially if you were not wearing a helmet — is that helmets cannot guarantee that a rider will be protected in a crash.
NHTSA statistics show that helmets are 37% effective at reducing fatality rates in traffic accidents and over 60% effective at reducing the risk of head injuries. This data shows that helmets reduce a rider’s risk of sustaining a fatal injury — but the use of a helmet does not completely prevent fatalities from occurring in motorcycle accidents.
When a motorcyclist does not wear a helmet and is injured in a crash, it’s possible that the court could decide that the rider is partially responsible for the injuries. However, a motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD can provide may be able to help negotiate a reasonable settlement if other factors played a bigger role in the accident.
Additionally, injuries completely unrelated to the head, neck, and brain can still occur in motorcycle accidents. In these cases, a Hyattsville MD motorcycle accident lawyer may be able to argue that the rider’s helmet use is irrelevant; a broken leg, for example, probably cannot be prevented by wearing a helmet. In this situation, it may be more likely that the rider can receive financial compensation.
Motorcycle Accidents Are Expensive
The economic cost of motorcycle accidents in the U.S. today is very high. Data from the NHTSA shows that, in 2013, the economic costs of each motorcycle fatality was $1.48 million per person, but the comprehensive costs — i.e., the costs that friends and families pay over a number of years is around $9.71 million per fatality; not to mention the emotional toll of losing a loved one.
When a motorcycle accident happens, much of the financial burden is placed on the victims. In the event of a fatal injury, family members may suddenly be left with thousands of dollars of unpaid medical bills and funeral costs. Even when a motorist is not fatally injured, the costs of serious injury can be life-altering. For this reason, it is not uncommon for injured victims to seek legal counsel from a top motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD can provide.
In some cases, an accident victim may be able to work with insurance companies to collect damages. In many cases, however, insurance companies do not pay enough money to the victims to cover the long-term costs of an accident. This may be because the other driver’s insurance policy has a lower maximum amount, or it may be because the insurance company disputes the liability of drivers involved in the accident.
Motorcyclists who are injured in an accident can face many setbacks that go beyond immediate medical bills. These may factor into the individual’s injury claim, and might include long-term medical costs, time taken off from work to recover, psychological and emotional trauma, and even disability.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Hyattsville MD Trusts
At Cohen & Cohen, we believe that it’s important for motorcyclists to receive the compensation they deserve after an accident. Motorcyclists may face higher risks than other drivers on the road, but they still have every right to drive freely and to receive protection if an accident happens. For more information about our services, or to talk about your case with a motorcycle accident lawyer Hyattsville MD trusts, call Cohen & Cohen today.
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