Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcycle Accident Statistics

It’s no secret that motorcycle accident injuries are deadlier than those generally sustained in car accidents. Motorcycle riders are more vulnerable to traumatic brain injuries and neck injuries that, even if they are not fatal accidents, can cause permanent disability. Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys exists to help riders who have suffered injuries of all kinds on the road. From road rash to broken bones to nerve damage to head injuries, we can help individuals navigate the tricky waters of personal injury law.

The difference between motorcycle accident fatalities and automobile accident fatalities is perhaps best illustrated by the following statistics: motorcycles made up just 3% of registered vehicles in 2013, and less than one percent of vehicle miles traveled, but comprised 14% of all traffic accident fatalities. Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, cars had 0.90 fatalities. Motorcycles had 23.41. 

Motorcycle and car accidents are both caused in many instances by speeding or alcohol. The three causes of fatal traffic accidents to make up over half of incidents between 2004 and 2013, according to the Department of Transportation, were speeding, alcohol, and distracted driving. 58% of incidents were attributed to one or more of these causes. Alcohol alone constituted 31%. By comparison, cell phone use was a factor in just 1% of fatal accidents during the same period.

When considering common, non-fatal motorcycle crashes or other accidents involving motorcycles in the United States, the statistics break down differently.

• Automobiles making left-hand turns represented 42% of traffic accidents occurring with a car and motorcycle.
• One of the reasons why lane splitting is classified as an illegal maneuver in many states is because it puts motorcyclists at substantially higher risk of accidents. Reduced space for maneuvering, closer proximity to other vehicles, and the inability of car drivers to anticipate motorcycles passing them in slow or stopped traffic add up to a considerable number of accidents.
• Speeding and alcohol use account for around 50% of single vehicle accidents involving motorcyclists.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that over 1,800 bikers survived accidents because of their helmets in 2008, and that 1,000 of the nearly 5,300 motorcyclist fatalities that occurred that year could have been prevented with broader helmet use.

Common Injuries from Motorcycle Accidents​

Russ Brown has been pursuing compensatory justice for motorcycle victims for over 40 years. We have seen a lot of injuries, and know the disruption and grief they can cause a family.

• Road rash: caused by friction with the road surface, these abrasions can be mild or serious depending on the kind of crash. Scarring and infection are both potential complications of this injury.
• Broken bones: wrists, arms, legs and more can be broken when riders attempt to cushion themselves during a crash.
• Lower-extremity injuries: these are the most common injuries riders sustain in crashes, according to the NHTSA. Leg injuries are the most common of these, with bone fractures a frequent issue.
• Traumatic brain injuries: in an NHTSA study, more than 1 in 5 unhelmeted riders injured in traffic crashes suffered traumatic brain injuries. These injuries (also called TBIs) accounted for 54% of fatalities in the study, more than 56,000 deaths.
• Spinal cord injuries: if the spinal cord is damaged by the impact of a collision it can cause paralysis. Permanent disability is a significant risk for victims of motorcycle accidents.
• Internal injuries: both blunt-force trauma and penetration trauma are potential outcomes of a motorcycle accident, and both can cause damage to internal organs and internal bleeding.

Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys and Motorcycle Injuries

All of these injuries can cost thousands, tens of thousands, or even more to treat and rehabilitate from. Some of the more severe injuries will require lifelong care to manage, and that kind of ongoing care doesn’t come cheap. A single accident can financially ruin an entire family. Russ Brown has faced pretty much every possible scenario in its time in business. We help our injured clients get the maximum possible recovery to aid with their physical, emotional, and financial recovery. We can help you with your property damage, reduce your medical bills, and will pursue your case aggressively and to the best of our ability, working it up to maximize your recovery. We can support your case even if you have an unfavorable police report, or contributory negligence, or you feel your case isn’t that significant. Regardless of how big or small you think your case is, we encourage you to call us and see how we can help. We can coach you through the claims process to ensure you don’t get taken advantage of by the insurance company. We always advise talking to a lawyer specializing in motorcycle accident law before talking to another driver’s insurance company about an accident. We certainly recommend a consultation before accepting checks or settlements of any kind.

Our team are all riders first, attorneys second: we know the road and the struggles motorcyclists go through. On multiple past occasions, we have leveraged this experience to great advantage in a court setting, clinching cases and winning six or seven-figure damages that otherwise may have gone the other way. There are many personal injury lawyers out there vying for your attention, claiming to be motorcycle accident attorneys. However, they lack the riding experience and the legal experience to measure up to the team at Russ Brown, the firm founded by the man who established motorcycle law as a specialism. We succeed in 98% of our motorcycle accident cases in California not because we cherry-pick the slam dunk cases, or because we lowball our negotiations to appease the insurance companies. We succeed because we walk the walk, we put our clients first, and we are exceptional at our jobs. It’s in our company motto. We Ride. We Care. We Win.

Contact us today to get your free case evaluation.