Riding a motorcycle is a recreational pursuit for some and a lifelong passion for others. But when a rider is involved in a serious accident, the resulting injuries can have long-lasting effects on his or her life. Without the protective frame of an automobile passenger compartment and safety features such as seat belts and airbags, motorcycles offer little protection.
A motorcyclist faces a higher risk of traumatic injury or fatal injuries in a crash. While motorcyclists were involved in only 1 percent of all collisions in Indiana in a recent year, they were disproportionately represented in 11 percent of fatal accidents according to Indiana state traffic data.
Understanding the Risks of Motorcycle Accidents
If you have sustained a serious injury or someone you love has been harmed or killed in a motorcycle accident, don’t wait to contact an experienced motorcycle crash lawyer to discuss your legal options. Our team of highly trained, motivated attorneys and staff members are committed to helping people who have sustained serious personal injuries.
The Indiana motorcycle accident lawyers at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC pursue full compensation for injured riders and the families of those killed in fatal motorcycle collisions caused by the negligence of others. You will work with an experienced lawyer.
We keep you informed of our progress on your behalf and give you our personal cell phone numbers so you can reach us if you have questions. We are dedicated to helping motorbike accident victims in Indianapolis and across Indiana.
How Our Indiana Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Can Help
Motorcyclists are five times more likely to be injured and 25 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than a person driving or riding in a passenger vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In Indiana, about 75 percent of motorcyclists involved in collisions in 2014 sustained some type of injury. Nearly one out of every five riders who were injured in those collisions sustained an incapacitating injury or fatal injuries.
Injuries Commonly Seen in Motorcycle Crashes
A serious injury in a motorbike accident can leave you unable to work for months. You may require extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy and not be able to bring in income while accumulating medical bills.
Motorcyclists have a legal responsibility to obey traffic safety laws. In our experience, we have observed that most riders are very safety conscious and mindful of highway safety because they are well aware of the risks of injuries.
The majority of multi-vehicle accidents involving a motorcycle and a car or truck are caused by inattentive or negligent drivers of other kinds of vehicles sharing the road. Many automobile drivers are looking for oncoming cars and trucks and simply are not focused on checking for motorcycles that have a narrow profile and are easier to overlook.
For example, a motorist who fails to see an oncoming motorist at an intersection may turn in front of the motorcyclist and cause the biker to collide with the larger vehicle. Being thrown from a motorcycle onto the pavement in a collision is a common way for a motorcyclist to sustain serious injuries including head injuries, neck injuries, fractures, and traumatic brain injuries.
Although the motorcyclist struck the car, the automobile driver caused the accident by failing to yield at the intersection. The accident was the other driver’s fault, but the motorcycle rider sustains the brunt of the injuries in most cases.
If your injuries were caused by someone else’s carelessness or disregard for safety, you should not have to worry about the medical bills. An injured motorcyclist needs a strong advocate to stand up for legal rights and seek full compensation for the rider’s injuries and loss of income.
Having a knowledgeable Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyer who has handled many similar cases can make all the difference in the outcome of your case.
As fun as they can be, bikes are one of the more dangerous forms of transportation. In 2006 alone, close to 5,000 people were killed in motorcycle accidents, and close to 90,000 were injured.
Often, drivers of larger vehicles do not look out for motorbikes, and as a result, accidents occur. Whether you are an experienced rider or a novice, keeping some safety precautions in mind could save your life on the road.
Essential Safety Tips for Motorcycle Riders in Indianapolis
- Maintain your vehicle. Before leaving the house, make sure there are no problems with your motorcycle. Discovering you’re missing a turn signal or having brake issues when you’re out on the road could be too late.
- Wear your gear. Helmets can protect you against fatal or life-altering brain injuries. It is also wise to wear eye and face protection, a protective jacket, long pants, gloves, and boots.
- Take a course. Even if you have years of experience, taking a motorcycle safety course is still a good idea. Most state’s departments of motor vehicles offer these courses.
- Don’t speed. A large percentage of motorcyclists who die in accidents are speeding.
- Stay sober. It’s foolish to drink and drive when operating any type of vehicle, but with a motorcycle, it’s especially dangerous.
- Be alert. Look out for potholes, bumps in the road, and oncoming vehicles. You cannot always rely on other drivers to look out for you.
Unfortunately, sometimes even when you are careful and follow the laws of the road, accidents still happen.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Indiana
With more than 30 years of experience as Indianapolis car accident lawyers, we have handled many cases in which motorcyclists and their passengers were injured in accidents.
These accidents are caused by other drivers:
- Following a motorcycle too closely;
- T-bone Accidents
- Failing to yield at an intersection or running a stop sign or red light;
- Cutting off a motorcycle when changing lanes;
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
- Unsafe lane movement;
- Improper turning.
According to the most recent Indiana Traffic Safety Facts report, the primary contributing factor to a bike accident involving another vehicle was attributable to the other driver (not the motorcyclist) 60 percent of the time. Other drivers were at fault in motorbike crashes involving failure to yield 80 percent of the time.
A serious accident can occur at any time, but motorcycle accidents causing injury do have a pattern. The highest number of these accidents leading to injuries occur from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Indiana, according to state traffic data.
Motorists have reduced visibility in the late afternoon and early evening and may have more difficulty seeing motorbikes during this time, which includes the evening rush hour. Far more men than women are injured in bike accidents.
Motorcycle crashes causing incapacitating injuries and death occur in the highest numbers during the warmer months of May through September when more riders are on the roads. Of the 125 motorcyclist deaths in Indiana in 2014, only 22 percent were wearing helmets. Helmet use is linked to lower injury and fatality rates.
Our Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyers act fast when you put your case in our hands. From the start, we devote substantial time to investigating the cause of the crash and work diligently to collect and preserve evidence to strengthen your personal injury or wrongful death claim.
Unfortunately, motorcyclists often encounter cultural bias from other motorists and insurance companies who perceive wrongly that the motorcyclist is irresponsible and somehow at fault for an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. This type of bias can lead to lower settlement offers from insurance companies and bias among jurors against motorcyclists if a case goes to court.
You need an experienced lawyer who knows how to overcome the bias against bikers and insists that an insurance company provide just compensation based on the facts of the accident, not perceptions.
When cases go to trial, we screen jurors for those who have negative perceptions of motorcycle riders if a case proceeds to trial. That kind of detailed approach to a case is among the reasons that you want an experienced Indiana motorcycle accident attorney on your side.
Our Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Will Investigate Your Case
As a larger personal injury law firm, we have the resources to devote to your case to see it through to completion. We will investigate your case thoroughly because having a firm command of the facts is the best way to negotiate from a position of strength.
We will move quickly to find eyewitnesses and preserve evidence before it is lost. We often seek the cell phone records of the at-fault driver to determine if the driver was distracted by talking on the phone or sending text messages at the time of the crash. We work hard to identify all the potentially liable parties in an accident. That broadens the pool of insurance funds available to provide compensation to the injured motorcyclist.
When to Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
At Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, we offer a free review of your case and your legal options for seeking compensation. If you’ve been injured or lost someone you love in a motorcycle accident, we help level the playing field against insurance companies and fight for your fair share.
We handle motorcycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you pay no legal fee unless we obtain compensation for you through an insurance settlement or jury verdict.
Contact an Indiana motorcycle accident attorney at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC online. We have several satellite offices and meeting locations. We serve clients in Richmond, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Anderson, Muncie and Lafayette, Indiana.
We’ll gladly set up an appointment at a location convenient to you or in your home. You only have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim after a motorcycle accident in Indiana, so it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.
