Speed wobbling is not something car drivers have to deal with or are even aware of, because only motorcycles may become unstable and begin to “wobble” due to a misalignment of the front and rear tires of the bike.
You may not realize this, but wobbling causes a large percentage of motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles and all across California. And while seasoned and experienced motorcyclists are aware of the occurrence of wobbling when traveling at high speeds, bikers with little to no experience are much more prone to get into a motor vehicle crash due to misalignment between a wheel and the rest of a motorcycle.
“Speed wobbling is a common cause of motorcycle accidents in which no other vehicles are involved,” says our motorcycle accident lawyer Los Angeles from Law Offices of Howard Kornberg.
Wobbling is not a rare effect when the biker is traveling at high speeds. Why the misalignment of the front and rear tires occurs depends on a variety of factors. In many cases, the biker is the only party to blame for the wobbling, while in some cases, the manufacturer of the bike might be at fault under the legal theory of product liability.
Causes of wobbling in motorcycles
For those of you wondering why wobbling occurs only when riding a motorcycle, let our Los Angeles motorcycle crash attorney explain. First and foremost, motorcycles are lighter than cars. Second of all, bikes only have two wheels, which makes “wobbling” possible when riding a motorcycle.
While many may think that “wobbling” or shanking of the bike is not a big deal, in reality, it is a big deal, because it causes the motorcycle rider to lose control of the bike, which can become fatal when traveling at high speeds.
Wobbling is a very prominent example of how motorcyclists get injured or die in crashes involving no other vehicles. But what causes wobbling in the first place? What causes that misalignment between the front and rear tires of the bike?
Aside from the high speed, another common cause of wobbling is when the motorcycle’s tire is loose, poorly inflated, or supported by a defective rim. All of the above can cause the tire to become unstable. The wobbling becomes more intense when the motorcyclist speeds up to the point that it becomes nearly impossible to control the bike due to shaking.
Motorcycle accidents caused by speed wobbling
Seasoned bikers know that the only way to recover from a wobble is to slow down as soon as possible and focus on maintaining control of the motorcycle. Our experienced motorcycle accident attorney in Los Angeles also says that wobbling can be caused by another vehicle crashing into the bike.
As many of you may have guessed by now, front-wheel wobbling is much more dangerous than rear-wheel wobbling, because the former has a much more prominent impact on the rider’s ability to maintain control of the bike. Front-wheel wobbling can cause a single-motorcycle accident in just a matter of seconds because wobbling in the front tire causes the rider to lose complete control of the bike.
In many cases, the biker is the only party responsible for the speed wobbling accident. However, there are also cases where establishing fault becomes more complicated, as another party’s negligence may also contribute to the crash caused by wobbling.
Our skilled lawyer explains that defective motorcycles, as well as faulty parts and components of the bike, can contribute to a motorcycle crash caused by wobbling. In order to determine fault in a motorcycle accident caused by wobbling, speak to our skilled lawyers at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg. Get a free consultation by calling 310-997-0904.