Ever since I was nine years, old I've enjoyed riding and racing motorcycles. My first mini bike was a Honda 70 and 41 years later, I still enjoy riding my Honda CRF 450 out on the local motocross tracks. When it comes to street riding, there is nothing my wife and I enjoy more (OK- maybe just me but she's a good sport and goes along with it) than riding the winding coastal roads found on the Hawaiian islands.
Have said this, I also understand and appreciate the unfortunate risk and hazards with riding on the track and on the street. The problem I've notice over the years is that regardless of how good and safe a rider you are, there is always the chance that someone or something else can ruin your day as quickly as you and I can twist the throttle or release our clutch lever of your motorcycle. Of course, there are things that we can all do to minimize this from happening, but the reality of the situation is that no matter how safe or careful we are, there is always the chance of being a motorcycle accident victim.
Not too long ago, I arrived at one of our local motocross tracks and relaxed unloading my bike while sipping on a hot cup of coffee and talking with friends. I had just had my bike's suspension and top-end worked on by Pro Circuit and to get familiar with the new feel and power, started the morning off with slowly "rolling" the track. Sure enough, despite the fact that I was riding way over on the right side of the track, some yahoo decided it was smart to try and jump by (over?) me on a medium size step-up jump. While the top of my helmet doesn't make a very good landing area, the accident was not as bad as it could have been and I've simply chalked it up to another close call. The fact of the matter is that I was doing everything right but because of someone else's negligence, a very serious accident could have taken place.
On the way home that afternoon, we passed two street bike accidents which looked pretty bad. I'm not sure how the accidents happened but this section of winding road on the Ortega Highway is a frequent riding area for street bikes. In the past, I've seen autos and trucks passing other vehicles on blind corners and with a 500' cliff on one side of the street and a solid rock wall on the other. One morning I actually watched a guy on his bike blow past me, pop a high speed wheelie and then ride that wheelie around a blind corner. What part of "a recipe for disaster" did this rider not understand?
Just this past week, my firm resolved a horrible motorcycle accident case which involved a wonderful client who had spent the past 30 years with the army's special forces. He was happy to recently retire and did not have a scratch on his body.
While riding his motorcycle in downtown Los Angeles, California, he entered an intersection pursuant to a green light when all of a sudden, an inexperienced 16 year-old driver decided it would be a good idea to make an illegal left-turn directly in front of our client. Needless to say, he suffered multiple broken bones and despite healing very well, is expected to experience a life-time of discomfort. The $1,200,000.00 policy limit settlement was only a first step in helping this rider get back on his feet and back on his bike.
Because of the physics involved in motorcycle accidents, the extent of personal injury or death is unusually high. In fact, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released new statistics showing that motorcycle fatalities have increased for the seventh year in a row. With more than 1,000,000 motorcycles being purchased each year (this figure has increased each of the past 14 years), the additional number of riders has resulted in fatalities increasing at an alarming rate of 89% from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,008 in 2004.
The numbers reflect that the average age of these riders is 20-29, with speeding being the number one cause of these fatal accidents. According to Motorcycle Industry Council findings, there is a high increase in the number of motorcycles purchased by riders over the age of 40 and a corresponding increasing number of fatalities with riders in this age group.
The highest percentage of fatal motorcycle accidents involved alcohol. More than 72 percent of these riders were in the age group of 40-49. One positive aspect of this statistic is that the number of alcohol related fatalities has actually decreased over the past 10 years.
More than 70% of motorcycle fatality accidents take place on undivided highways. I would suggest that this is a combination of a lack of rider education, training, inattention, excessive speed or third-party negligence (the driver of another car or truck was careless and caused the accident).
Another disturbing but not necessarily surprising statistic is that about 80% of all motorcycle accidents result in injury or death. This statistic reflects the fact that regardless of fault, there is little protection for a motorcycle rider in an accident. Unfortunately, the pain I feel in my knees, back and right shoulder while writing this article are a constant reminder to me of this very real fact.
My research shows that since the enactment of the Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, more than 128,000 motorcyclists have sustained fatal injuries. In 2004 alone, more than 4,000 riders died and another 76,000 were injured.
Looking at the numbers, this means that about 12 motorcycle riders are involved in fatal accidents each day on our roadways. With more than four million registered motorcycles in the United States, this equates to about 11 motorcycle riders dying each day and another 208 riders sustaining injury on U.S. roadways.
Based upon our own experiences and the experiences that our clients have had, most motorcycle riders are injured because of either their own negligence or the wrongful conduct of other drivers. Other causes include mechanical defects and hazards in the roadway.
Common rider injuries include broken bones, burns, road rash, facial fractures, amputations, spinal cord injuries, paralysis and traumatic brain injury. Wearing a helmet is a smart precaution to take but unavoidable accident factors like speed and angle of impact can make the use of a helmet almost ineffective.
When it comes to safely riding a motorcycle on or off the roadway, common sense and good training will go a long way to helping make sure you make it home at the end of the day. Ride safely and enjoy the open road.
-- Special Testimonial from Retired Motorcycle Store Owner...
"Prior to retirement, I was the owner operator of a very successful motorcycle and watercraft dealership in south Orange County for 27 years. It was known as Saddleback Suzuki and Sea-Doo. I met Mitch aka "Action Jackson" Jackson via as a customer. Immediately I like the guy because he was a very pleasant person and I truly enjoyed his loyalty through the years. I realized after a few conversation with him that he was a successful attorney with a practice just down the street from my establishment. If you’re in business in today’s world sooner or later your going to need legal help. I contacted Mitch with a problem that I was involved in. I have always supported my customers when I need goods and services. I also had several attorney clients but I felt at the time Mitch would serve me best. Not to be disappointed Mitch did an outstanding job for me and I never felt slighted in any way. He proved to honest, always available, kept me informed, and always I felt he had my best interest first. I have required his services several times and of course every time he is exceptional in his legal services. I can highly recommend, without any reservations, Jackson & Wilson to any small, medium, or large size company in need of exceptional legal services. The bottom line is that you can trust this team to get the job done!"
Greg Lamb- President G& D Lamb Services, Inc.
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