What is the #1 Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?

Driver error is the number one cause of motorcycle accidents in SoCal. Bad weather and other such factors often contribute to accidents, but they hardly ever cause them. Some of the major causes of motorcycle crashes are discussed below. Motorcycle wrecks usually cause catastrophic injuries. The motorcycle rider accident fatality rate is thirty times higher than the vehicle occupant accident fatality rate.

Usually within a few hours of a motorcycle crash, a team of insurance company lawyers begins looking for ways to reduce or deny compensation to victims who need it. An Oceanside personal injury lawyer levels the playing field. Attorneys connect victims with doctors who comprehensively diagnose and treat their injuries, making sure nothing gets overlooked. Then, when the case goes to court, good Oceanside personal injury lawyers do not relent until they obtain the best possible result under the circumstances.

Aggressive Driving

Failure to watch and/or excessive speed may be the most common aggressive driving causes of motorcycle crashes. Left-turn wrecks, which account for about a third of fatal motorcycle crashes in California, are a good example.

Visibility issues set up these wrecks. Granted, small motorcycles are hard to see in a sea of large pickup trucks and SUVs. But this difficulty doesn’t excuse negligence. If anything, drivers must be even more careful when they attempt left turns against traffic.

Generally, the tortfeasor (negligent driver) is waiting at an intersection, or at a private driveway, to make a left turn against traffic. When tortfeasors believe they see a gap in traffic, they quickly accelerate through the gap. When they hit motorcycles they didn’t see, they often blame the rider for “coming out of nowhere.”

Such a statement is basically an admission that the driver wasn’t maintaining a proper lookout. An Oceanside personal injury lawyer often uses electronic evidence to nail the coffin shut. A vehicle’s Event Data Recorder measures and records engine RPM and other information. So, a lawyer can prove that, instead of stopping and looking both ways, the tortfeasor barreled into the street.

Operator Impairment

About half of drivers involved in serious injury or fatal accidents have traces of alcohol or drugs in their systems. The impairing effects of these substances, such as poor judgement and slow reactions, usually begin with the first puff, pill, or sip.

Substance impairment increased significantly during the pandemic. Traffic enforcement dropped to almost nothing and many people self-medicated to deal with the stress of the pandemic. This bad habit, like so many others, has proven easy to form and difficult to break.

Speaking of the pandemic, illness is a form of driver impairment. Mild illnesses, such as cold and flus, significantly reduce driving ability. Serious illnesses, such as epilepsy and heart disease, could cause a sudden loss of consciousness behind the wheel.

Extreme fatigue is also a factor in many motorcycle crashes, especially early in the morning and late at night. Many people are naturally fatigued at these times, no matter how much rest they had the night before. The effects of fatigue are similar to the effects of drugs and alcohol.

Frequently, compensation is higher in driver impairment cases. Arguably, these tortfeasors know they shouldn’t drive, but they got behind the wheel anyway and knowingly put other people at risk.

Reach Out to a Dedicated San Diego County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Oceanside, contact the Pursley Law Firm. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.