Single-Bike Accidents

As many as half of all motorcycle accidents involve a single motorcyclist who loses control or otherwise comes into contact with a stationary object.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we know these can be some of the most difficult cases when it comes to securing compensation and benefits for injured riders and their families. In some cases, a rider may have lost control trying to avoid certain collision after another motorist fails to yield the right of way. In other cases, road defects or other environmental factors may cause or contribute to a collision. Often a driver is left to attempt to collect damages from his or her own insurance policy, or the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in place on other vehicles in the household.

But when it comes to single-bike accidents, there is some good news. Unlike collisions with careless drivers, riders enjoy more control over their own fate.

Key Factors in Single-Motorcycle Collisions:

Rider Experience: The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles requires all new riders pass a Basic Rider Course through the Florida Rider Training Program.

Motorcyclists should never quit learning and should participate in rider-safety courses and continuing education. Rider training and experience are among the most telling predictors of accident risk.

No formal training, inadequate experience on the accident motorcycle, and lack of motorcycle endorsement or licensure are among the most common cited factors in single-bike collisions.

Drinking and Driving: One-fourth of drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents were legally drunk at the time. Outdone only by riders, who are intoxicated in 30 percent of fatal motorcycle collisions. Ride Sober.

Motorcycle Size: Perhaps only the issue of motorcycle helmets will stir debate faster than whether motorcycle size plays a part in accident risks. Certainly, the insurance industry thinks so and those with performance motorcycles will pay higher premiums.

However, quantifiable statistics are less clear. In the last decade, the U.S. Department of Transportation has reported a 60 percent increase in fatalities among those riding motorcycles over 1000cc engine size – twice the increase seen among those riding smaller bikes. However, the seminal Hurt Report found higher cc motorcycles underrepresented in accident data, although those riders were likely to be more seriously injured when a crash occurred.

Bottom line: Size and experience matter. Don’t buy one without the other.

Custom Bikes: There is no question those riding custom street bikes and choppers are overrepresented in accident data. Reasons for causation include less experience on the accident motorcycle, faulty design and poor visibility.

Maintenance and Equipment: Riders who take care of their equipment and invest in routine service and preventive maintenance are less likely to be involved in a single-bike collision. Unlike passengers of motor vehicles, who may be inconvenienced by a breakdown, mechanical failure on a motorcycle can lead to serious or fatal injury.

Proper maintenance is particularly important to remember in a place like Florida, where the year-around riding season may not offer traditional periods of downtime for annual service work.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we’ve been fighting for the rights of injured riders since 1971. We encourage every rider to keep learning and stay safe. Because when it comes to motorcycle accidents in Southwest Florida, it’s literally half the battle.

Motorcycle Injury Attorneys – 800-646-1210 – Free Consultation