What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accident?

What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accident?

Almost 2,900 motorcyclists crashed on Indiana roadways in 2018, according to the Indiana Traffic Safety Facts publication. But what are the most common causes of motorcycle accidents? According to the publication, almost 55% of those motorcycle crashes involved multiple vehicles and about 45% of the accidents were single vehicle accidents.

Statistics from the Indiana State Police ARIES show that, in multiple vehicle accidents, about 58% of the time, the other vehicle was more likely to be at fault for the motorcycle crash. About 40% of the time, the motorcyclist is more likely to be at fault. The other 2% of the time, both parties were at fault or law enforcement officers were unable to determine which party was at fault.

Types of Accidents Where Another Driver is at Fault

Certain types of multiple vehicle accidents involving a motorcycle are more likely to be the fault of another driver, according to the ARIES statistics, including:

  • Failure to yield right of way: where a driver of a passenger vehicle fails to yield to a motorcycle driver, such as when making a left hand turn at an intersection and failing to see an oncoming motorcycle, resulting in a crash.
  • Unsafe backing: where the driver backs out of a parking space without checking mirrors properly, leading to a crash with an oncoming motorcycle.
  • Improper lane movement: where the driver of the car changes lanes without checking for motorcycles, either causing a collision with the motorcycle or causing the cyclist to swerve to avoid a collision and to lose control.
  • Distracted driving: where the driver of the passenger car is violating Indiana’s distracted driving regulations by taking his or her mind or eyes off the road, causing the driver to miss seeing a motorcycle in the vicinity, leading to a crash.
  • Impaired driving: where the vehicle driver has taken drugs or drunk alcohol before climbing behind the wheel, causing a mistake that leads to a crash with a motorcycle.

Even if the impaired driver’s blood alcohol level does not surpass the Indiana DUI limit of .08% after the crash, you and your attorney can argue that any amount of alcohol or drug use on the part of the other driver played a role in the accident.

Crashes Where the Cyclist’s Actions Played a Role

Sometimes, the motorcycle rider’s actions could be found negligent, playing a role in the crash with injuries. It is possible that law enforcement’s investigation into the crash will show that the motorcycle rider was completely at fault for the crash, or that both the other driver and the cyclist shared fault at different levels.

Some of the most common types of multiple vehicle motorcycle crashes where the cyclist is most often found at fault, according to the ARIES data, include:

  • Speeding: where a motorcycle exceeding the speed limit for the Indiana roadway created an unsafe condition, resulting in the crash with the other driver’s vehicle.
  • Improper passing: where a motorcycle rider passes another driver in an unsafe manner, such as by weaving in and out of traffic on a multiple lane road or by trying to drive between cars on a multiple lane road.
  • Following too closely: where the cyclist follows a passenger car too closely, leaving him or her unable to stop in time when the car suddenly must stop, resulting in a rear end crash.
  • Loss of control: where the cyclist may be going too fast for poor weather conditions or poor road conditions, causing a loss of control and a collision with another vehicle for the motorcycle.

Even if you are involved in one of these accidents where law enforcement typically finds the motorcyclist to be at fault, it does not mean you as the motorcycle rider was at fault in your situation.

You and your attorney will study the facts in your case, determining exactly what happened and whether another party’s negligence played a role in your crash.

We Are Ready to Work on Your Behalf

After a crash while riding your motorcycle, you may be wondering, what are the most common causes of motorcycle accidents? Although the statistics show multiple reasons exist for a crash involving a motorcycle, the most common cause is another driver acting in a negligent or reckless manner, hitting the motorcycle.

At the Sevenish Law Firm, P.C., our team is ready to begin working on your case as soon as you hire us. We work tirelessly for our clients. Personal injury law is our specific area of expertise, and we take pride in defending the rights of those who have suffered an injury at the hands of another party.

Even if the insurance company for the other driver contacts you with a settlement offer, you have the right to hire a personal injury lawyer to negotiate for you, looking to deliver a fairer settlement. Contact us today for a free review of your case at 317-720-3229.

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