Common Types of Motorcycle Accidents
Experienced Nashville attorney who knows how to win
When you’re out on a ride, you can’t count on the people in cars and trucks to “look twice” for motorcycles. Whether you’re taking in the scenery on Tennessee’s peaceful Cherohala Skyway or enjoying the twisties on Route 129’s Tail of the Dragon, a biker must be extra aware of their surroundings to avoid a bad motorcycle accident.
At The Law Office of Eric Beasley, we have seen too many times that when a car collides with a motorcycle, it’s usually the biker who gets the worst of it. Concussions sustained by motorcyclists are especially common. Sadly, so are fatal motorcycle accidents.
Metro Nashville can be a particularly risky area for motorcycles. With so much risk on the road, it is important for motorcycle riders to understand the most common types of bike crashes. This information may be useful in an emergency.
Know your rights. Contact our law firm
If you or a loved one has been in a bike wreck due to someone else’s negligence, you need to understand your rights and legal options. You may be under pressure from the insurance company to accept a small settlement. While you recover from your accident injuries - a fracture, road rash, spinal cord injury, brain trauma or possibly an internal injury - you’re likely missing work and watching the bills pile up. Any settlement might seem tempting in this situation.
Don’t give in. Our legal team can collect the evidence needed to build and prove your claim. For more than 20 years, we’ve been helping accident victims win their claims throughout the Nashville area. We’ll take on the insurance companies for you and get you the compensation you need to heal, offset lost income, and secure a financial future for you and your family free from medical debt.
Types of motorcycle accidents
The following are just some of the types of motorcycle accident cases that we handle:
Left Turn Collisions
This is the most common type of motorcycle accident. It occurs when a car or truck fails to see a motorcycle or makes an error judging its speed and turns in front of a moving bike. To help avoid these kinds of accidents, brake early, increase your visibility, and practice defensive driving techniques like staying out of a vehicle’s blind spot.
Head-on, Right Turn and Rear-end Collisions
If you’re on a bike, it doesn’t take much force from a car or truck to destabilize you. Even a “fender bender” can send a biker to the hospital. Head-on accidents make up about three-fourths of all motorcycle-involved, two-vehicle crashes.
Slides
This type of crash happens most frequently when a biker is making a turn. If he hits the turn too fast, or with too much brake, or applies too much acceleration coming out of the turn, one of the motorcycle’s wheels can slide out.
Highsider/Highsides
These accidents happen when a rider loses traction on his bike’s back tire, then regains it quickly. Highsiders are so named because the force of the incident often ejects the rider from the high side of the bike.
The Cut Off
No one likes it when a car swoops into your lane inches ahead of your vehicle, but the scenario can be deadly for bikers. A sudden change in speed or direction, even a tap by the other vehicle, could send a biker flying off his motorcycle. It’s near impossible to anticipate someone’s erratic driving, so give other vehicles a wide berth, stay alert and drive defensively.
Dangerous Road Conditions
Inconsistencies in the road are caused by things like gravel, sand and rain or unexpected features like dips, potholes, puddles of water, etc. Even experienced riders can be surprised by changes in the road. To avoid skidding out on some unseen road waste, take it slow around turns and stay within the speed limit.
Dooring
You can be driving down Broadway minding your own business when suddenly someone in a parked car kicks open the driver-side door directly into your path.
In this surprise situation, there may be no good way to avoid injury. Your choices are to hit the door, slam on the brakes, swerve into another lane of traffic, or maybe even wreck the bike to avoid more serious injuries. To limit your exposure to a “dooring” accident, never ride between a lane of traffic and parked cars.
Intersection Crashes
Common causes of this type of accident are speeding, obstructed view and weather conditions, but mostly it’s people in cars or trucks who fail to notice a motorcycle at an intersection. To help avoid these kinds of accidents, brake early, increase your visibility, and practice defensive driving techniques like staying out of a vehicle’s blind spot and avoid lane splitting.
Sideswipe Accidents
A sideswipe motorcycle accident involves a vehicle hitting a motorcycle with the side of the car. Often, sideswipe accidents occur because a negligent driver failed to yield or failed to check for motorcycles before changing lanes. Whatever the circumstances, a sideswipe accident can result in very serious injuries.
Lane Switching Accidents
Drivers need to pay close attention when changing lanes, especially on a highway. Unfortunately, many drivers don’t look for motorcyclists when switching lanes, resulting in a lane switching accident. When this happens, the at-fault driver needs to be held accountable for their actions.
Fatal Motorcycle Accidents
Every type of motorcycle accident has the potential to result in a fatal motorcycle crash. Thousands of motorcyclists are killed each year in fatal accidents caused by negligent drivers. When this happens, it’s important for family members to know their rights and the legal options available to them.
Get the law firm that gets results. Contact us
Nashville motorcycle accident attorney Eric Beasley was born and raised in Tennessee and has a dedication to the community. Many of the people he represents were referred to our firm by past clients and lawyers who know that he can get the job done.
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact us for a free consultation.