Victims of motor vehicle accidents often face severe injuries, and this is potentially even more true for motorcycle accident victims. Riders have little to protect them from injuries that another driver causes, and those drivers are often held responsible for these severe injuries.
For help getting compensation for an accident, it is best to turn to a lawyer. Attorneys experienced in this area of personal injury law can help fight to get you the damages you deserve and potentially take your case all the way to trial in front of a jury if necessary to make the defendant pay you what you deserve.
For a free case evaluation, reach out to our Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers at Howe Law today by calling (844) 876-4357.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Redan, GA
Motorcycle accidents caused by another driver usually happen because of some violation or mistake that the driver made. While single-vehicle motorcycle accidents can occur, they are often the rider’s own fault and have no grounds for the rider to file a lawsuit unless it is for defective motorcycle parts. However, when another driver is involved, our motorcycle accident lawyers can usually help you sue them for causing accidents in the following ways:
Drunk Driving
Drivers who are too intoxicated to drive safely are responsible for many serious crashes. Drunk or drugged drivers are barred from getting behind the wheel by our DUI statutes, so any time they cause a crash while violating that law, it is usually sufficient to prove that they caused the crash. However, you will need evidence of their intoxication and should always call 911 after a crash in case the driver needs to be investigated for a potential DUI.
Distracted Driving
Drivers must keep their eyes, hands, and minds properly focused on the task of driving safely. If they are distracted by things like their cell phones, eating while driving, arguing with a passenger, or anything else that pulls their attention away from the road, it becomes more and more likely they will hit another vehicle.
As motorcycles are smaller than cars, SUVs, and trucks, even more minor distractions can be sufficient to cause a motorcycle crash. However, the fact these vehicles are smaller is no excuse not to see them; drivers must be on the lookout for all kinds of vehicles, as well as pedestrians, cyclists, skateboards, scooters, and certainly motorcycles.
Speeding
Speeding is a contributing cause in most crashes, if not the sole cause of the crash. Drivers who break the speed limit are in violation of the law and can be held responsible for crashes that result from that violation. This means that if a driver hit you while going above the posted speed limit, you likely have grounds to sue them for the crash.
Speeding is common, however, and you might be accused of contributing to the crash because you were also speeding. In these cases, the intent of each driver is weighed, and reckless or intentionally dangerous acts on the road often outweigh the motorcyclist’s mere negligence in a speeding case. Additionally, even if you are found partially at fault, this only partially removes your damages unless you are found to share the majority of the fault in causing the crash.
Tired Driving
Drivers who are too tired to keep awake and alert on the road are just as dangerous as drunk drivers. If a driver’s reaction time and decision-making abilities were reduced because they were driving while tired, then that could supply fault in your accident case. If they literally fell asleep at the wheel, that would also be their fault.
Some health conditions, such as sleep apnea, can contribute to the risks of tired driving. Drivers who have these health conditions often ignore them, leading to accidents, especially among truck drivers and other commercial drivers.
Running Red Lights and Stop Signs
When cars barrel through intersections without stopping, they put others at risk. If you legally entered the intersection and were hit by a driver who entered without stopping or yielding as they were supposed to, then they should be at fault for the crash.
Even if the other driver “got there first,” the fact that they ran a red light while you had a green light would still likely make them responsible for the crash. Motorcycle riders are often injured in these cases by their attempts to make a quick stop, potentially crashing into the other car after sliding and suffering injuries in their attempt to avoid danger.
Fighting Victim Blaming in Redan, GA Motorcycle Accident Cases
In many accident cases, the defendant and their legal team will try to blame the crash on the victim instead. In some cases, this is unlikely to work, as the evidence is stacked so high against the defendant. Even so, there is often a bias against motorcyclists that our attorneys need to contend with.
First, defendants will attempt to say that you did something wrong that contributed to the crash. This is common in all accidents, not just motorcycle accidents. As mentioned above, victims can still seek compensation even if they were partially at fault. As long as your fault was less than the other driver’s fault, you can still get partial damages. However, if the defendant’s culpability was higher from reckless or intentional acts, that might be the decisive factor over any degree of fault you contributed by accident.
Second, the defendants’ lawyers will try to blame you for not wearing a helmet or say that motorcycles are simply too unsafe. While failing to wear a helmet might make you partially liable for the extent of the resulting injuries, a missing helmet does not mean you caused the accident itself. Additionally, motorcycles are legal, so these arguments often have no basis in the law.
Call Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Today for Help in Redan, GA
Call our motorcycle accident lawyers at Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 for a free review of your potential motorcycle accident case.
