When it seemed like winter would never end, we’re suddenly now in the summer season. While this is such a wonderful time of year for so many reasons – picnics, the kids playing summer sports, the beach, cook-outs and so much more, we’re also in the most dangerous time of year for cycling, both on bikes and motorcycles.
There are far too many accidents in the world of cycling. With school out and the kids running relatively free, they just so often don’t think about safe bike riding. They’ll suddenly dart out into the streets – seemingly coming out of nowhere.
This is especially true for those young riders who are experiencing the thrill of the bike ride for the first time.
Then there’s the failure to wear a helmet. Too often that’s the difference between a minor injury and a much more tragic result. The statistics are unquestionable about whether you are safer while wearing a helmet.
Parents need to stress the importance of wearing a helmet and looking both ways. Dusk is the worst time for motorists not being able to see the young bicyclists. Every bike should always be equipped with a front headlight and a large reflector on the back, if not a red flashing light. Clothing should be light colored and easy to spot, with maybe a reflective strip on the back of the helmet or shirt.
From Bikes to Motorcycles
As people get older, they sometimes graduate to motorized cycles. Accidents for them are also still too common. In fact, according to data released by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute …
2,322 motorcyclists sustained injuries and 100 motorcyclists died in collisions in 2016.
Motorcycle accidents often leave victims with extremely serious injuries, largely because riders lack the protections offered by the body of a car or truck. When motorcyclists are involved in a crash, they are often thrown from their bikes and slammed into the ground, other vehicles, or even trees or buildings in the vicinity.
And About Those Helmets
Many of these cyclists involved in these accidents were not wearing one. The Indiana criminal justice Institute says wearing helmets reduces fatality rates by more than 30 percent.
The Three Common Reasons for Injuries
- You guessed it: Not wearing a helmet. Wear one and provide another for your passenger. It’s your best protection.
- Drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- Finally, about half of the fatalities were drivers who were not even legally allowed to drive.
Learn Safety Before You Ride
Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, consider a safety course.
Ride Safe Indiana (RSI) offers an Entry Level Motorcycle Safety Course for beginning motorcyclists and an Advanced Skills Motorcycle Training Course for riders who want to improve their skills. It might mean the difference between being a safe and happy motorcyclist and a being a statistic.
Sometimes, though, you can be the safest driver on the road, and still get hit by a driver who collides with a motorcycle. This is where Tauber Law can help.
If you were involved in a motorcycle or bicycle accident, you may have suffered serious injuries. Because motorcycles and bikes offer little protection, a rider can incur numerous physical injuries to all parts of the body, including broken bones, amputations, severe skin abrasions, brain and spinal injuries, and even death.
A motorcycle or bicycle accident lawsuit can be complex and requires an experienced personal injury attorney. Tauber Law Offices has years of experience in representing bikers and the unique difficulties that these cases can present.
If you are involved in a motorcycle or bicycle accident, immediately record vital information. If you are not able, ask a family member or friend.
Do …
- Take pictures of your injuries.
- Take pictures of and keep your helmet and motorcycle or bicycle gear.
- Take pictures of the accident scene – road shot, skid marks, broken glass, various angles, including close-ups.
- Do not fix your motorcycle or bicycle right away.
- Most importantly, DO NOT settle with the other driver’s insurance company – especially if he or she appears to be at fault.
Tauber Law can help you obtain the maximum amount available by law in Indiana for:
- Damage to your motorcycle and gear
- Lost income and potential future income
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
Tauber Law Can Help Ease Your Pain
If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident that you believe was caused by negligence on the part of another driver, call us. Or contact us here. We will carefully assess your case and aggressively go after the compensation you deserve.
Tauber Law Offices is concerned about your safety and your welfare. And if the unimaginable happens to you or a loved one, we are there for you from beginning to end.
Treating you like family because we are one. We’re Tauber Law.
