The odds of serious injuries when involved in a Bakersfield motorcycle accident, are high. Unlike cars, motorcycles offer motorcyclists little to no protection. Therefore, you could encounter other motorists, debris, or objects erected along the highways in a motorcycle accident.
Since motorcycle accidents result in severe settlements, you should work with a motorcycle personal injury lawyer in Bakersfield, CA, to chase the compensation you deserve. Your attorney could determine if your claims hold water and the ideal steps to follow when filing your claim.
Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents
As mentioned above, motorcycle accidents could result in more severe injuries than other road accident types. Injuries you could sustain in a Bakersfield motorcycle accident are:
Muscle Injuries
Your body entails over 600 muscles. One or more of these muscles could be damaged in a motorcycle accident. These injury types could range from large muscle raptures to simple sprains. Motorcyclists who ride daily or those with fast bikes are at a higher risk of sustaining muscle damage than those who ride once in a while.
Head Injuries
Head injuries are not uncommon in motorcycle accidents. While protective gear such as helmets, bodysuits, and boots offer protection to riders, you could still suffer head injuries in a motorcycle accident. The severity of this injury type varies from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) to concussions, bruises, and minor cuts. If you hit your side of the head on a hard surface, you could damage your eardrum and cause permanent or temporary hearing loss.
Facial Injuries
Like protecting the head, helmets protect the face. Even though a helmet could prevent head injuries, it might not be effective in preventing injuries to the jaws or other face parts. You could sustain cuts and bruises on the face.
Biker’s Arm
As a reflex, riders shield themselves using their arms during accidents. The act causes arm injuries, called biker’s arm. This injury could entail broken bones, bruises, tendons, and muscle injuries.
Feet Injuries
During motorcycle accidents, the feet touch the ground first. Due to the reflex to regain balance, you will likely suffer lower extremity injuries in a motorcycle accident. Feet injuries could include bruises, muscle injuries, cuts, and sprains. Other injuries that could have more severe effects are shattered fractured bones and permanent disability.
Road Rash
Unlike cars, motorcycles do not have a protective hood protecting motorcyclists. You could fly over, slide sideways, or handlebars on the tarmac during an accident. If you were riding at higher speeds, the sliding and impact of the ground are higher. If you do not have riding gear, your bare skin could rub against the tarmac; hence, sustaining a road rash.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
In Bakersfield, leading motorcycle accident causes include:
Abrupt Lane Changes
Many motorists make abrupt lane changes without checking if motorcycles are close. If a motorist does not check their blind spots when changing lanes, you could be involved in a motorcycle accident.
Careless Opening of Car Doors
Major motorcycle accidents in towns and cities happen when motorists open car doors in the way of oncoming motorcyclists after parking. You could crash on the door when a motorist abruptly opens a car door and sustain injuries.
Intoxication
Driving under the influence is another motorcycle accident caused in Bakersfield, CA. drunk drivers barely exercise the due duty of care. Others make impaired judgments or cannot control the vehicle on the road.
Excessive Speeding
Another reckless driving type, overspeeding, is a leading motorcycle accident caused in California. When a motorist is overspeeding, the odds are that they cannot easily spot a motorcyclist. In an emergency, the motorist’s reaction time is minimal, and they cannot prevent an accident.
Establishing Fault in a Motorcycle Accident
Determining liability is crucial when filing a personal injury claim after your motorcycle accident. You want to consult an attorney to help you with recovering damages. Your attorney should investigate the incident to establish fault.
At-fault parties could be:
- The manufacturer of the vehicle caused your accident.
- The manufacturer of your motorcycle’s components.
- The authorities in case a poor road was the cause of the accident.
- Your mechanic or that of the other motorist.
Factors that Determine the Amount of Compensation
There is a huge prejudice against motorcyclists. When a motorcycle accident happens, the majority shift blame to the rider. However, in motorcycle accidents, riders are not always the cause. After an accident, you want to hire an attorney to help determine fault and compensation amount. Factors that determine your compensation amount are:
- Your ability to Prove Fault. Proving a motorist is at fault is a crucial aspect of a motorcycle accident. You could seek police reports and citations issued to the at-fault motorist to prove liability.
- Impairment of the at-fault driver. The chances of compensation increase if the at-fault driver was driving under the influence during your accident.
- Insurance Coverage of the Defendant. Note that compensation cannot surpass the at-fault insurer’s coverage.
With the help of your personal injury attorney, you raise the odds of receiving fair compensation. Your attorney will help establish liability, determine the damages you deserve, and file your compensation claim.
