Hayneville Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Hayneville has some pretty roads, and motorcyclists love to enjoy the scenery on their bikes along rt. 21 or rt. 97.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, the law office of Chip Nix will help you uncover the at-fault party. We can determine the negligent party who is liable for the injuries and damages that resulted from a motorcycle accident.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports there are 110,012 registered motorcycles in Alabama. Hayneville, Montgomery and all of Alabama in 2018 saw 1,828 motorcycle accidents resulting in 114 deaths and 1,297 injuries.
In 2017, Alabama was 15th in the nation for motorcycle deaths. The warmer southern states typically have more motorcycle fatalities because of the longer season one can ride when compared to colder weather states. Motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in an accident than a motorist in a car.
Looking at a motorcycle, it is not surprising. Without the shield that a metal cage offers occupants of a motor vehicle, we find motorcyclists can be thrown from the bike; they can suffer road rash and head injuries; a loss of limbs is not unusual; back, neck and bone injuries as well as damage to internal organs are all possible when a human body becomes a projectile after being thrown off of a motorcycle.
Motorcycle accidents can result in long-term injuries and even wrongful death.
Alcohol use – According to state statistics, four of every ten riders killed in a motorcycle accident had been drinking and have been found with high blood alcohol concentrations. Drinking will slow your reaction time and cloud your thinking, vision, and balance.
When colliding with a larger automobile, you will not be protected, even if you are wearing protective gear. With so little protection, it is risky behavior to drink and ride a motorcycle.
Of course, it is equally likely that the person behind the wheel of the other vehicle was drinking and that caused the accident. It is particularly important that police determine that at the scene. We will use those blood alcohol results to determine who shares the greatest degree of blame.
National statistics tell us that your Hayneville motorcycle accident may be due to the fault of the person driving the automobile.
Cars cause accidents with motorcycles by:
- Turning in front of the bike
- Running the motorcycle off the road
- Not seeing the motorcyclist until it is too late
- Drinking, driving, speeding, and driving distracted all contribute to accidents with motorcycles
- Tailgating the motorcycle
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Aggressive driving toward the motorcyclist
Motorcyclists contribute to accidents by:
- Speeding and reckless driving
- A collision with an animal on the road or some other hazard in the roadway
- Failure to signal
- A defect in the motorcycle, tires, breaks, or lights
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Driving while tired or drowsy
- Failure to take a motorcycle safety course
Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI – Upon a collision, the motorcycle rider is generally thrown from his bike and collides with the road or another vehicle. Depending upon the speed at impact, that can result in life-altering injuries or death.
It is difficult if not impossible to recover from a TBI, which results when the head hits a hard surface. A severe TBI can be fatal or result in permanent disability which might have been averted or minimalized by the wearing of a motorcycle helmet. According to NHTSA, your risk of fatal head injury may be reduced by nearly one-third if you wear a helmet.
According to NHTSA, the average cost of a motorcycle injury is $211,000, the highest crash-cost per mile.
Motorcyclist Safety
A rider must understand the rules of the road to avoid injury, especially permanent injury to the head and spine. Rider safety courses are available through the Alabama motorcycle Safety Program at sites throughout Alabama.
Helmet Laws – Motorcycle riders in Alabama are required to wear a helmet, no matter their age, unlike many other states that require only young adults under the age of 20 to wear helmets. In Florida, for example, riders over the age of 21 are exempt from wearing a helmet, if they so choose. A NHTSA study found with universal helmet laws requiring all riders to wear a helmet, helmet use rose to above 95 percent.
Training Courses – According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, education improves motorcycle safety. Nationally 4,985 motorcyclists were killed in the U.S. in 2018, according to NHTSA. Among the riders involved in a fatal crash in 2017, 29% did not have a valid motorcycle license. According to state statistics, more than 90 percent of riders involved in a motorcycle crash were self-taught and had no formal training.
Antilock Braking Systems (ABS)- Because motorcycles have separate brakes for the front and rear wheels, the ABS prevents brakes from locking up when the brakes are applied hard. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that motorcycles equipped with optional antilock brakes have a lower rate of crashes.
Your Alabama Motorcycle Accident Attorney
After a motorcycle accident the biker may not only have to recover and spend time off of work but he may face potential life-long injury, a costly treatment program, and a limited ability to return to work.
If you are hurt by someone else’s negligence you have a right to compensation. Compensation may include your medical expenses, both now and in the future; the cost of rehabilitation; the cost of your property; lost wages; loss of limbs and permanent scarring; loss of consortium; emotional pain and pain and suffering.
In Alabama, the doctrine of contributory negligence means the other side will try to prove you are at least partially responsible for your injuries or a loved one’s death, therefore not eligible for any compensation.
Our team will determine who was negligent, if there are any witnesses, and the factors that contributed to your accident. In preparing your case for trial we will want the jury to consider your pain and suffering, your medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and long-term prospects.
Let Chip Nix listen to the specifics of your case free of charge. He will apply his extensive motorcycle accident experience in this specific area of personal injury law in order to determine if you have a case. Call our Montgomery office at 334-279-7770 to start the conversation.
