Motorcycles are an exhilarating way to travel, and the riding experience is part of what makes them such an attractive option for commuters and joy-riders alike. However, there are significant risks that come with this type of transportation as well, both due to the motorcycle driver’s behavior and—often more commonly—other drivers’ behaviors. No matter how defensive or alert the motorcycle driver is, there will always be the risk of another driver changing lanes without a signal, rear-ending the motorcycle at a stop sign or intersection, turning into the motorcycle’s direction of travel, and many other common motorcycle accidents that lead to catastrophic results for the person driving their motorcycle, and their passengers.
To complicate matters further, a motorcycle does not provide the protection that a passenger vehicle does, since there is no protective frame surrounding the driver. This means that even at low speeds, a collision on a motorcycle throws the driver from their ride and into a second impact with the ground, other vehicles, obstacles, and more. This means that the nature and severity of the injuries that a motorcycle rider may suffer after an accident are highly unpredictable, and even a low-speed crash that would be otherwise be considered a “fender bender” between two passenger vehicles could result in permanent or even fatal injuries with a motorcycle.
Contact Balkin Law Group Now For a Free Initial Consultation After a New Jersey Motorcycle Accident
The sooner you are working with an experienced New Jersey motorcycle accident attorney, the sooner you will be able to focus on recovering from your injuries and managing your personal life with confidence that your legal issues are being taken care of, and that you are taking the right steps to get the money that you deserve after your accident. Serious accidents have a wide range of impacts, and while not every one of these impacts comes with a simply-measurable dollar value, an experienced attorney will be able to do the calculations in order to get you money for each of them.
While no amount of money will ever undo your accident, the team at Balkin Law Group believes that motorcycle accident victims should not need to take on the financial burden of someone else’s dangerous or reckless behavior, which is why we will fight for what you deserve so that you can move forward with your life with financial security.
Read more below to get a general idea of New Jersey motorcycle accidents and the personal injury cases that we represent these accidents through, and contact us now for your free initial consultation.
Common Causes of New Jersey Motorcycle Accidents
As with all accidents, the variables that go into determining how a crash actually happened are extremely diverse and numerous, meaning that no two accidents are ever alike. However, the causes of accidents do tend to fall under some common categories, of which the following are some of the most common. Whether or not you see the cause of your accident listed below, contact us for your free initial consultation so that we can help you make sense of your situation and how best to move forward with your legal case.
Texting While Driving
Texting while driving is an epidemic in the United States, and the National Safety Council calls our evolving multitasking technology “a myth” that we have all fallen for. In reality, multitasking while driving, especially with cellphones, has led to nearly 1.6 million accidents every year, and many of these accidents involve motorcycles. It is difficult enough for someone texting and driving to notice another passenger vehicle that has entered their direction of travel, but it is nearly impossible for someone who is engaged with a screen to notice a motorcycle in their peripherals before they make a dangerous, and perhaps fatal, maneuver.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is a major problem in the United States, and when someone makes the reckless decision to get behind the wheel after drinking too much (or taking other mind-altering substances), the results can be catastrophic. Alcohol reduces reaction times, distracts drivers, leads drivers to make careless or dangerous decisions, and is overall a terrible combination when it comes to safely traveling on our roads. If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by a drunk driver, we will fight to ensure that your injures are not brushed aside — we will fight to ensure that you get a fair settlement, or will take your case to trial in the New Jersey courts.
Inexperienced Drivers
Inexperience is a dangerous factor on our roads, and when a new driver takes to the streets they can be intimidated by motorcycles, or may simply ignore or miss their presence entirely. Inexperience can lead to innocent mistakes, but it can also lead to young drivers engaging in reckless or dangerous behavior that pushes their vehicle beyond their control, their reaction times, or their understandings of defensive driving techniques. Regardless of the specifics, inexperienced drivers pose a significant threat to motorcycles.
Left Turns
When a driver pulls into the middle of an intersection to take a left, they typically wait to make sure that there is an opening in oncoming traffic before committing to the turn. Even a driver who is taking the normal precautions before taking a left may miss a motorcycle, as their brain is looking for a larger vehicle such as a passenger vehicle or truck, but these types of accidents are even more common when the at-fault driver is not looking at all, distracted, intoxicated, or otherwise engaging in reckless or negligent driving behavior.
Lane Changes
Lane changes on the highway can be intimidating to even experienced drivers as they attempt to identify all obstacles surrounding their vehicle, check their blind spots, and commit to a maneuver while moving at high speeds. Because motorcycles are so much smaller than even the smallest passenger vehicles, they can more easily be lost in blind spots, and may simply be overlooked by someone who is not specifically looking for a motorcycle. This is one reason why there are so many signs, bumper stickers, and other messages throughout the country every year as motorcycle season approaches to “Look Twice, Save a Life.”