Riding the open road, feeling the fresh air and enjoying the thrill of a ride through Colorado’s beautiful landscape are just some of the upsides to riding, a motorcycle but there are downsides as well. Many of the factors that protect those in passenger and commercial vehicles are absent for a motorcycle rider. Numerous factors that might not ordinarily cross the minds of other motorists contribute to motorcycle accidents and the serious or fatal injuries that result.
The most obvious issue is the lack of protection a motorcyclist has when compared to those in other vehicles. Without that extra protection, what might be considered a minor accident in a passenger vehicle could be catastrophic. Depending on the circumstances, helmets and other protective clothing might minimize injuries, but injuries could still occur.
The smaller footprint of a motorcycle means that other drivers might not be able to see it. The fact that nearly 70 percent of motorcycle accidents occur at intersections where people are turning and making other maneuvers underscores this fact. In addition, oil slicks, potholes and other road hazards create dangers for motorcyclists that are mainly inconveniences for other vehicles. Motorcycles also require a great deal of skill to operate. Not understanding how to properly react to situations on the road could prove to be serious or fatal.
Then again, even the most experienced motorcycle riders cannot account for everything. Motorcycle accidents happen far too often on Colorado’s roadways. Victims and/or their families who believe that the injuries or deaths caused by these crashes were due to the negligence of another party or parties may be entitled to file a civil lawsuit, seeking restitution for the economic and non-economic damages caused. Providing the appropriate evidence to the court might result in a monetary judgment to help with those losses.
Source: Findlaw, “Motorcycle Accidents: Overview“, Accessed on Jan. 22, 2017