Whenever we see a motorcyclist on the streets of Los Angeles, a lot of us tend to think, “Oh, look. He is on a suicide mission.”
Up to 5,000 motorcyclists are killed in motorcycle accidents in the U.S. every year. And motorcycle fatalities are on the rise due to the ever-increasing number of people opting for bikes as a ‘cooler’ alternative to cars.
But along with that ‘coolness’ comes a higher risk of injuring yourself.
When we hear about a motorcycle accident, a lot of us tend to presume that the motorcyclist was the one at fault. Well, wrong.
This kind of unfair bias against motorcyclists is widespread across the country. Both pedestrians and car drivers consider motorcyclists to be reckless and negligent of traffic rules.
Excessively loud motorcycles usually deserve the most criticism. Being so noisy, people tend to automatically assume that the rider is an irresponsible brat.
But from our experience here at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, in the vast majority of motorcycle accidents, the fault is on the car driver, not the motorcycle rider.
Just recently, an off-duty LAPD officer was killed in a motorcycle accident after he collided with a car that was making a U-turn in the opposite direction.
Let’s review the most and wreck-proof to avoid them.
How to prevent the most common motorcycle accidents?
Being the most common motorcycle accident, a car turning in front of a motorcycle can be easily avoided in most cases.
The car driver is usually to blame for this type of motorcycle accident, as he/she fails to assess the motorcyclist’s speed correctly or simply doesn’t notice the motorcycle at all, which results in a collision.
How to avoid: foresee everything that is happening on the road. Be attentive at all times, as both you and those who share the road with you are operating a deadly weapon.
If a car is standing at an intersection or if there’s a gap in traffic at an intersection, it could mean that the driver is planning to turn.
Pro tip: look at the car’s wheels, as they serve as an early indication of its movement.
If a car changes lanes suddenly ahead of a motorcyclist, it can be deadly to the latter.
How to avoid: stay away from blind spots. If a driver can’t see you in their side or rearview mirrors, there’s a high chance they could veer into the space you’re currently occupying.
Fun Fact: in 98% of motorcycle accidents, the weather is not the culprit.
It’s also a common motorcycle accident when motorcyclists smash into the opened doors of parked cars.
It’s almost impossible to react immediately and change movement when a car driver swings his doors wide open in front of motorcyclists riding at a high speed.
How to avoid: never ride a motorcycle between a lane of active traffic cars and parked cars. In such a way, you not only prevent collision with the opened doors, but also avoid running into pedestrians that might step out in an attempt to cross the road.
If you couldn’t prevent your motorcycle accident and you’re reading this. First of all, the most important thing is that you’ve made it in one piece.
Second of all, despite the widespread bias against motorcyclists, getting compensated as a motorcycle biker is possible.
Here at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, we know your struggles. Many of our experienced motorcycle crash lawyers own and ride motorcycles ourselves, which gives us an edge over those who have no idea what it’s like riding a bike in the busy streets of Los Angeles.
Call our Los Angeles offices at 310-997-0904 or complete our contact form – we’ll take your motorcycle accident case into our own hands and drive it all the way up to your win.
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