Colorado tends to attract people who want to enjoy the great outdoors. This not only applies to tourists, but to those who live here as well. Some use the warmer months to get outdoors on their motorcycles. When they do so, they risk becoming involved in motorcycle crashes, which often result in serious or fatal injuries.
For instance, on July 30, two motorcycle accidents occurred five hours apart in Aurora. Both motorcyclists died, and local authorities took the opportunity to highlight the fact that bikers face significant dangers on the state’s roadways. The two crashes involved mistakes made by the riders, but a large number of motorcycle accidents result from negligence on the part of other motorists.
In 2017, the number of motorcyclist deaths dropped to “only” 101, and that was only here in Colorado. This number represents 16 percent of the fatalities that happened on Colorado’s roadways that year. In Aurora, where the two accidents occurred in July, the number of fatalities is higher than that average. As of Aug. 13, five of the 20 fatal crashes in that city involved motorcyclists.
Motorcycle crashes ordinarily result in more serious, or fatal, injuries to the riders involved for obvious reasons. However, just because someone chooses not to ride in the relative safety of a passenger or commercial vehicle does not mean they give up the right to seek restitution for injuries and other damages suffered due to the negligence of another motorist. To determine whether a claim exists, an injured motorcyclist or his or her family in the case of death may benefit from an evaluation of the circumstances by an experienced personal injury attorney.