In 2010 Missouri traffic crashes, 1.6% involved a motorcycle. Crashes ending in fatalities, 12.2% involved a motorcycle. A total of 97 people were killed, and 2,036 were injured in a motorcycle accident. Meaning that 96% of serious motorcycle accidents killed the motorcycle rider of their passenger and only 4% of the time in these cases the automobile driver or passenger was killed. More than 2,036 motorcycle accidents that resulted in a personal injury, about 1,900 were either the motorcycle driver or passenger.
What this means is that in Missouri as well as nationally, motorcycle riders and their passengers have the highest percentage of fatalities and personal injuries when involved in an accident. We feel that motorcycle riders, and their passengers deserve the same legal protection as any motorist on our roadways, however, we have seen time and time again cases where this was not the case.
Any crash in which one or more drivers of motorized vehicles were exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for conditions and, in the opinion of the investigating law enforcement officer, the driver error contributed to the cause of the crash
When a car strikes a motorcyclist, the car often sustains little or no damage. However, motorcyclists often become seriously injured in these accidents. Motorcycles offer very little protection, making their riders more likely to sustain debilitating wounds such as broken bones, internal damage, spinal cord or back injuries, and brain injury.
In very serious cases, a Missouri motorcycle accident can even result in death. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,553 motorcyclists were killed and another 87,000 injured in collisions in 2005 alone. This constitutes a 13% increase in fatalities and a 14% increase in injuries from 2004. NHTSA estimates that in 2004, motorcyclists were 34 times more likely to be killed than passenger car occupants per vehicle mile.
Motorcyclist error accounts for about 2/3 of single vehicle crashes (i.e., crashes that only involve the motorcyclist). However, when the crash involves the motorcyclist and another vehicle, it is almost always the fault of the motor vehicle driver, rather than the rider. According to reports conducted around the country, the failure of motorists to detect motorcyclists in traffic is the leading cause of motorcycle accidents. Other common causes of motorcycle accidents can include poor weather conditions, defective products, and roadway defects, although these are rare.
If a loved one has been killed or injured in a motorcycle accident that was the fault of another driver, you should get advice from one of the top wrongful death lawyers in Missouri. Contact our office for more information.