The Peoria motorcycle accident attorneys of Mushkatel, Gobbato, & Kile, P.L.L.C. want you to know that a dedicated lawyer from our law firm can help you seek full compensation after a serious accident that was someone else’s fault. This includes money for medical bills, to replace the income you’ve lost while out of work, and for your pain and suffering.
Motorcyclists cruising U.S. 60, West Peoria Avenue or smaller streets in the Peoria / Phoenix area know they have a lot coming at them when they ride. Most motorcyclists are careful riders because they understand the risks of a crash. Even the safest rider cannot prevent another motorist from making a driving error and causing an accident.
What Causes Motorcycle Accidents?
Some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Being struck by a vehicle turning left at an intersection
- Being struck by a merging vehicle
- Being struck by a vehicle that is following too closely
- Being struck by a vehicle’s extended mirror
- Windblasts from commercial trucks
- Being struck by flying objects such as airborne pebbles and insects
- Poor road conditions.
Motorcyclists are often injured in accidents caused by other drivers who were not looking out for motorcycles or were simply not paying attention. Anyone who has ridden for long can tell you about an accident and a motorist who eventually exclaimed, “I never saw him!” Veteran riders can also tell you about being cut off in traffic.
In almost 40 years, nothing has been done to supersede Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, which was published in 1981 and is known as the “Hurt Report” for lead author Harry Hurt.
The report says plainly: “The most common motorcycle accident involves another vehicle causing the collision by violating the right-of-way of the motorcycle at an intersection, usually by turning left in front of the oncoming motorcycle because the car driver did not see the motorcycle.”
Motorcyclists are often sideswiped in traffic by vehicles that change lanes without looking adequately.
A third common motorcycle accident is being hit from behind – rear-ended. Too many motorists don’t understand that a smaller, lighter motorcycle will stop faster than a car or truck when braking. Another thing a veteran motorcyclist can tell you about is the uneasy feeling caused by being tailgated at highway speed by a truck or SUV.
Even a car or truck driving too closely to a less-experienced motorcyclist or the blast from a passing tractor-trailer could shake them and cause a wreck.
When a motorcycle crashes in Peoria, the rider is almost always injured to some extent. “Riders and passengers suffered some kind of injury in 98% of the multiple vehicle accidents and 96% of the single vehicle accidents,” Hurt says. The study found that 45.1% of riders and passengers suffered more than a minor injury, and a fourth of riders and passengers had an injury that was severe, serious, critical or fatal. Fatal injuries occurred in 4.9% of multiple-vehicle accidents and 7.7% of single-vehicle accidents.
What are Common Injuries in Arizona Motorcycle Accidents?
While the Hurt Report remains the most in-depth study of motorcycle accidents, the Arizona Department of Transportation keeps yearly motorcycle accident statistics. Its latest release of Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts covers 2018 and says there were 2,738 motorcycle accidents that left 150 riders dead and 2,248 people injured in Arizona.
In half of the accidents, there was “No Improper Action” on the part of the motorcycle operator.
The AZ DOT report does not specify types of injuries, but we know from our years of investigating motorcycle accidents in Arizona that the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Back and neck (spine) injuries
- Damage to internal organs
- Arm, leg and foot fractures
- Other broken bones
- Cuts and bruises (“road rash”).
- Death
The most serious injuries can lead to lifelong disabilities. Unless you escape with a minor road rash, any of these injuries means hospitalization and huge medical bills, as well as lost work time, a damaged motorcycle and other losses.
When the injuries and losses from a motorcycle crash are not your fault, you need to speak to a Peoria personal injury lawyer about helping you seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance. The other driver’s insurance company will try to limit what it pays on a claim and may attempt to blame the motorcyclist and deny a claim, if possible. Only a dedicated motorcycle accident attorney – your attorney – will fight for your best interests and work to get the most money possible into your hands.
How Can Our Peoria Motorcycle Accident Attorney Help You?
Our experienced Peoria motorcycle accident attorneys can help you seek compensation for serious injuries in an accident caused by a motorist, local government’s faulty maintenance of roadways, or even by another motorcyclist.
We’ll investigate the accident to identify all parties at fault by talking to witnesses, visiting the scene, and gathering accident reports and other records. We will also calculate the extent of your losses, or damages, from the motorcycle accident, including medical expenses, lost income, costs to repair or replace your motorcycle, and your pain and suffering.
In cases of disabling injury, we will factor in the costs of future and ongoing medical care and rehabilitation and for adapting your house to make it accessible, as well as your reduced earning capacity.
Once we know the full extent of your losses, we’ll submit a claim to the liable party’s insurance company and negotiate aggressively for a full settlement. Most accident cases are settled out of court. We will discuss any settlement offers we receive, and the decision to accept or not is yours.
If the insurance company refuses to offer a reasonable settlement, our attorneys at Mushkatel, Gobbato, & Kile, P.L.L.C. will present a solid and persuasive case in court.
Contact Our Peoria Motorcycle Injury Attorneys
The attorneys of Mushkatel, Gobbato, & Kile, P.L.L.C. in Peoria, AZ, are dedicated to representing the rights of motorcyclists who are injured. We stand up for motorcyclists injured in accidents caused by others’ negligence. Contact our law firm today to schedule an initial confidential evaluation and find out how we will fight for the compensation you or your loved one deserve for your injuries.
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