What Are the Odds of Surviving a Motorcycle Accident in California?

Many people enjoy motorcycles in Southern California, and many invariably wonder about the inherent dangers they face when taking their bikes on the road. Unfortunately, a motorcycle offers its rider very little physical protection in a crash. Even the highest-quality safety gear can only mitigate the damage from a motorcycle accident, not prevent it entirely.

The odds of dying in a motorcycle accident are low in the statistics for survival from motorcycle accidents. However, it is vital to remember that the risk of dying in a motorcycle accident is much greater than dying in a car accident. Therefore, while your odds of surviving a motorcycle accident may be statistically good, you still need to know how to recover from the damages you experienced.

If you or a loved one recently experienced a motorcycle accident resulting in injuries and economic losses, the fault system of California allows you to seek compensation from the driver who caused the accident. Of course, every driver must carry auto insurance, but even an expansive insurance policy may not fully compensate for the damage from a serious motorcycle accident. If you find yourself in this situation, an experienced attorney is the ideal resource to consult to determine what to do next.

Best Practices After a Motorcycle Accident

Your health and safety should be your main concern following a motorcycle accident. First, wait for emergency responders to arrive. Many motorcyclists cannot move after their accidents, and if they sustain serious injuries, any movement could worsen them. Once the victim has addressed their immediate medical concerns and received treatment for their injuries, they must determine fault for the accident.

Many motorcycle accident victims wake up in the hospital after their accidents, not remembering what happened to them. They may not know how to prove fault for their accident without help from others. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help their client obtain eyewitness statements from others who saw their accident, secure copies of traffic camera recordings if any cameras captured the accident, and seek other evidence to help them prove fault.

Working with an experienced lawyer is the best approach to recovery from a motorcycle accident. Your legal team will help you file an insurance claim, gather the evidence you need to prove liability, and then assist you in calculating your damages. An auto insurance claim is typically an injured motorcyclist’s first step toward recovery after an accident. First, the victim must identify the driver who caused the accident and file a claim for coverage against their insurance policy. In California, drivers must carry liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage, and it is also strongly encouraged for drivers to purchase underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage.

Navigating the insurance-related issues following any vehicle accident is much easier with an attorney’s help. Once an insurer notices a claimant has legal representation, they will be more inclined to process the claim in good faith as efficiently as possible. Additionally, if any disputes or discrepancies arise regarding the auto insurance claim, the claimant’s attorney can help them address these issues with personalized legal counsel.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in California

Any motorcycle accident is capable of causing devastating injuries and extensive economic losses, but some motorcycle accidents are far more damaging than others. Catastrophic injury claims and personal injury cases involving substantial damages are most likely to arise when motorcycle accidents happen because of:

• Distracted driving. This is the leading cause of all vehicle accidents in the country, and even momentary inattentive driving can have terrible consequences.
• Speeding. Most motorcycle accident fatalities occur at high speeds. When drivers exceed speed limits, they significantly reduce the time and distance they have to slow or stop to react to changes in traffic.
• Driving under the influence (DUI). It is illegal for any driver to operate a vehicle while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol. Accidents due to DUI typically result in severe injuries, and the at-fault driver faces civil liability and criminal prosecution for their actions.
• Poor visibility. Motorcycles are much smaller than cars or trucks and more difficult to notice. As a result, driving conditions are especially dangerous for motorcyclists at night, during inclement weather, and in areas with heavy traffic congestion.
• Moving violations. Disrupting traffic flow with an illegal turn or failure to stop at a stop sign can easily cause a motorcycle accident.

No matter how your recent motorcycle accident occurred, you will be best suited to secure a favorable outcome for your recovery if you have an experienced lawyer advising you. It’s vital to file your personal injury claim as soon as possible after your injury, and the right lawyer can streamline your case proceedings significantly.

Success with your personal injury claim will require identifying the party responsible for your accident and then proving they were negligent or intentionally harmful in a manner that resulted in your claimed damages. A plaintiff must also be prepared to prove their claimed damages solely resulted from the defendant’s negligent or wrongful conduct and not some other cause.

Benefits of Legal Counsel Following a Motorcycle Accident

Many motorcycle accident cases involve complex questions of liability and difficult interactions with insurance companies. Navigating these issues alone while managing a painful recovery from your injuries would be incredibly difficult. However, having experienced legal counsel you can trust readily available to guide you through your claim means you can approach the situation with greater confidence and peace of mind.

Your personal injury attorney can assist you with the preliminary stages of your recovery, including assessing your total losses and filing an auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver’s policy. Once you have exhausted your recovery options from insurance, your attorney can help you build a personal injury claim against the driver who caused your accident.

Perry Personal Injury Lawyers can answer your most pressing legal questions and provide ongoing support and guidance after a motorcycle accident in Southern California. In addition, if you are ready to discuss your options for legal recourse after an accident caused by someone else, contact us today to schedule your consultation with our team.