Accidents are often more dangerous for motorcycle riders than regular drivers. Motorcyclists lack the surrounding protection of a car and are more vulnerable in a crash. Iowa laws aim to protect them from this danger.
Regardless of that, many motorcycle accidents still happen yearly. If there are laws to prevent them, why are they still a common problem in the country? This page will answer that question.
Here, people will learn the most common causes of motorcycle accidents. The severity of the crash depends on what triggers it and the circumstances in which it happens. Unfortunately, it will lead to severe injuries most times.
Victims have the legal right to get financial compensation after a motorcycle accident. The only thing they need to do is file a personal injury lawsuit. Tom Fowler Law can help victims in Iowa along this process. They can also answer questions such as is lane splitting legal in Iowa?
Apart from motorcycle accident claims, this law firm can address other personal injury cases. People can get more information about its practice areas on its website.
Main Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Many things can cause a motorcycle accident. Any sudden move, stop, or distraction can make riders fall off their bikes or crash with another vehicle.
These are the most common reasons behind motorbike crashes:
Hazardous Road Conditions
When someone talks about a motorcycle accident, most people think about negligent drivers crashing into them. While that's common in this kind of case, it's not the only thing that can cause it.
Regardless of how skilled the motorcycle rider is, they must ride on a well-maintained road to avoid accidents. Large potholes or debris could make people fall from their bikes or crash while trying to dodge them.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving will almost always cause a car or motorcycle accident, whether the one doing it is a rider or driver. Traffic regulations are indeed made to protect drivers, but that means not following them endangers everyone on the road.
When someone drives recklessly, they put themselves and anyone around them in danger. Certain things, such as improper lane splitting, brake checking, and not using traffic signals are examples of that.
People are also driving recklessly if they are:
Speeding
Racing
Tailgating
Brake checking
Committing right-of-yield violations
Driving Under the Influence
Apart from being one of the main reasons behind motorcycle accidents, driving under the influence of alcohol or any other psychotropic substances is a crime too. Doing it would be deliberately hitting the road knowing it's impossible to entirely focus on it.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 35% of the fatal accidents in the state had an impaired driver as one of the parties. This is not just about getting serious injuries but also directly ending another person's life.
It's worth noting a motorcycle rider could still sue an impaired driver for a crash while they face criminal charges. In these cases, civil and criminal matters are treated simultaneously without one affecting the other. Tom Fowler Law can also answer questions like what is a no contact motorcycle accident?
Door Opening
It may sound like something small, but a door opening could cause big motorcycle accidents. Actually, it's common to see crashes happen because of this.
This occurs when someone suddenly opens the door of a parked car into the path of an ongoing motorbike. Two things can happen here; the rider either swerves quickly to avoid hitting the door and falls or directly crashes into the door.
Making sudden moves at high speeds will make the rider lose control of their motorcycle. That's the reason lane splitting is banned in the state.
How Dangerous Are Motorcycle Crashes?
Regardless of what causes it, a motorcycle accident is way more dangerous than many other types of crashes. Forbes stated that riders are 28 times more likely to die in fatal crashes than others.
Even if a rider gets in a motorcycle collision and doesn't die, they will suffer severe injuries. Apart from the problem that physical damage already represents, healing from it is extremely expensive.
In the same post, Forbes showed that 5,932 motorists died in 2021. This includes head-on collisions, crashing with other vehicles, and more.
Road hazards are also more dangerous to motorbike riders than to regular drivers. While they do not always create the risk of a car accident, they do make a motorcycle crash more likely to happen.
Check the most common injuries victims get after motorcycle collisions below:
Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Road rash
Fractures
Dislocations
Internal bleeding
Apart from following traffic regulations, motorcycle drivers should always wear safety gear. Helmets can save lives. Gloves, jackets, and boots will give them additional protection when other drivers behave recklessly.
How Much Can Motorcycle Riders Get After a Crash?
The idea of hiring a motorcycle accident attorney in Des Moines is to sue the other party and get compensation after a crash. However, how much money can riders get with a personal injury claim?
Everything depends on the severity of the injuries the victim withstood and the amount of additional expenses, such as lost income, property damage, and emotional distress.
Motorcycle accident settlements often go from $10,000 to $100,000. Regardless of that, it could go way beyond that number. Medical bills are often the most expensive part of paying for bike or car accidents.
Iowa is a comparative fault state. That means more than one person can be liable for a crash. If, for example, a car driver switched lanes without signaling and crashed with a motorcycle rider speeding, both would be technically liable for what happened.
In this case, the compensation the victim would receive would decrease depending on how liable they were for everything. This is common in left-turn accidents.
Conclusion - Get Help After a Motorcycle Accident
Traffic fatalities are a serious concern. People can't bring their loved ones back, but they can get justice for what happened. Negligent drivers must know they can't always get away with driving recklessly and not following traffic laws.
Victims can (and should) always sue them to get money for their personal injuries. While they can't go back in time to avoid head-on collisions, they can at least get enough to cover medical expenses and property damage.
Tom Fowler Law is committed to helping victims of motorcycle accidents get the compensation they deserve. Victims in need of legal representation in a personal injury case in Des Moines, Iowa, can call this law firm to schedule a free case evaluation.
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