How Many Motorcycle Accidents Are Caused by Cars?

How Many Motorcycle Accidents Are Caused by Cars?

After you are involved in a crash on your motorcycle, you may wonder how many motorcycle accidents are caused by cars. According to the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, between 55 and 60 percent of Indiana motorcycle accidents annually involve multiple vehicles. Roughly 40 to 45 percent of accidents only involve the motorcycle.

In 2018 in Indiana, 1,573 motorcycle accidents involved multiple vehicles, and 4.1 percent of these were fatal accidents. In the same year, 1,108 motorcycle accidents in Indiana were single-vehicle accidents, and 3.3 percent of those involved a fatality.

Among the multiple vehicle accidents, Indiana Traffic Safety Facts says in 2018, about 58 percent of motorcycle accidents were the fault of another motorist, while about 40 percent of the accidents were the fault of the motorcyclist.

The Danger of Riding a Motorcycle

Because motorcyclists do not have the same protective features and safety systems built into the bike as other passenger vehicles, any type of accident involving a motorcyclist can result in extremely serious injuries.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2017, a motorcyclist was 27 times more likely to die than someone riding in a car per mile driven.

The Indiana University Public Policy Institute says motorcyclists are involved in less than 2 percent of all traffic accidents annually on Indiana roads, but motorcyclists suffer about 13 percent of all accident fatalities in Indiana each year.

Safety Measures for Motorcyclists

Motorcyclists in Indiana under the age of 18 must wear a helmet and eye protection, according to the Indiana State Police. This should provide some protection for those drivers during a motorcycle crash.

However, motorcycles do not have airbags or a cage surrounding the passenger area of the bike like a passenger vehicle has, which gives the motorcyclist far less protection in an accident than a driver of another type of vehicle has.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

When a motorcyclist is in an injury accident, there could be multiple causes for the accident, especially if another driver is involved. These potential causes include:

  • Sudden lane change: The vehicle driver does not check his or her mirrors before changing lanes, failing to see a motorcycle and hitting the bike.
  • Opening a car door: The driver parks on the side of a road and opens the door to exit the vehicle without checking, placing the door in the path of a motorcycle traveling on the road.
  • Left turns: A driver crosses traffic to make a left-hand turn but fails to see a motorcycle traveling in the opposite direction, causing the motorcycle to strike the turning car.
  • Violating traffic laws: The driver is speeding, driving recklessly, driving under the influence, or violating other Indiana traffic laws, which creates a situation that could lead to a crash with other drivers on the road, including motorcycles.

Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crash

At times where a single motorcycle was involved in a crash, it is possible that another driver or another party’s negligence contributed to the accident, including:

  • Failure to maintain a lane: The vehicle driver swerved into the motorcycle’s lane, causing the motorcyclist to lose control and crash without ever contacting the other vehicle.
  • Dangerous road conditions: Major potholes, debris in the roadway, or other problems with the road cause the motorcyclist to lose control.
  • Motorcycle defect: A problem with the construction or repair of the motorcycle caused the bike to fail, leading to a single person crash.
  • Animal in the road: A deer or another animal enters the roadway in front of the motorcycle, causing the rider to swerve and lose control.

Should you and your attorney be able to prove that another person’s negligence caused the problem that led to your accident, including a single-motorcycle accident, you may be eligible to seek damages from the responsible party.

Helping Motorcycle Accident Victims Receive a Fair Settlement

More than half of all motorcycle accidents may be caused by cars. More than half of all motorcycle accidents involve multiple vehicles, and many of these occur because of negligence on the part of the other driver.

If law enforcement officers investigating your accident determine the driver of the car was completely or partially at fault for the accident with your motorcycle, you may have the right to seek compensation for the injuries you suffered.

At the Sevenish Law Firm, P.C., our team focuses on handling personal injury cases, which gives us a possible advantage over law firms that try to handle all cases, leaving them as a master of none of them. We take pride in helping victims in personal injury and traffic accident cases receive the fairest possible settlement.

For a free consultation, contact us today at 317-720-3229.

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