When you look at motorcycle statistics, they paint a fairly bleak picture. In terms of fatal car accidents, they are 24 times as likely for someone on a motorcycle, as opposed to someone in a car. Even having double the chances of being involved in a fatal accident would be a massive risk, but this is far greater than that.

Many times, these car accidents are not caused by motorcyclists, but by the drivers around them. An example could be a left-turn accident, where a driver turns left across a motorcyclist’s path. There is very little that the motorcyclist can do to avoid the crash, but they are also the one who has a vastly higher chance of passing away from their injuries.

Why are the risks so great?

A lack of protection for motorcyclists is the main reason that their fatality odds are so high. They are simply more exposed to the blunt forces of the accident. Even when wearing leather pants, jackets, gloves, and an appropriately rated helmet, the motorcyclist is still at grave risks posed by impacts with a vehicle, other object, or the pavement. Those who are drivers or passengers in larger vehicles have the advantage of seatbelts, steel frames, crumple zones, airbags and many other safety devices that just do not exist on a motorcycle.

Some common mistakes drivers make is not keeping a sufficient distance away from motorcyclists and not keeping a proper lookout for where the motorcyclist is in traffic.  These mistakes put motorcyclists in jeopardy when the car or truck driver has to stop quickly behind a motorcyclists in traffic, or tries to change lanes or make a left turn without knowing exactly where the motorcyclists is located. Those who have been injured in a motorcycle crash need to know if they have a right to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, other costs, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.