For motorcyclists, danger is always present on Wisconsin’s roads
Contrary to popular fiction, the average motorcyclist isn’t a daredevil. In fact, every motorcyclist knows that the roads are dangerous, and they often go out of their way to avoid problems.
The biggest nemesis a motorcyclist can have, however, is other drivers — the kind operating passenger cars and other vehicles. Those vehicles are large, and motorists feel some sense of entitlement to the road, and they don’t always remember that motorcyclists are even around.
How dangerous are the roadways for motorcyclists?
At least two-thirds of all motorcycle accidents also involve another vehicle. An astounding 70% of motorcycle crashes occur at intersections.
Most of the crashes between motorists and motorcyclists occur because car drivers fail to look for the narrow profile of a motorbike. This often results in motorists failing to yield to motorcyclists’ right of way.
Previous research shows that motorcyclists’ risk of suffering injuries in a crash is five times that of passenger car occupants. Motorbike riders’ chances of dying on the road in an accident are 26 times that of passenger car occupants. These injury and fatality risks that motorcyclists face are partially attributable to them lacking the protection of the outer shell of a vehicle that passenger car occupants enjoy.
You do have rights if a motorist strikes you
Motorcyclists struck by automobiles are lucky to survive their crashes. Riders tend to suffer more catastrophic injuries such as fractures, amputations or head and spinal cord injuries in their accidents. These can be costly to treat.
Wisconsin law might allow you to recover compensation if someone’s negligence resulted in you suffering catastrophic injuries in a motorcycle accident such as those mentioned above. An attorney can help you learn more.