What To Know If You're Ever In A Motorcycle Accident

Posted on: 17 November 2020

It is unfortunate, but many people wrongfully assume that when a motorcycle rider is involved in an accident that they are the one that is at fault. The reality is that the vehicle you are riding does not determine the level of fault that you have, even if riding a motorcycle is likely to leave you injured after an accident. That's why it's important to know the following things if you're ever involved in an accident as a motorcycle rider. 

Losing Control Of Your Motorcycle Doesn't Mean You're At Fault

Many motorcycle accidents happen because the motorcyclist needs to slam on their brakes to avoid an accident, which can lead to them losing control of their bike and coming to an abrupt stop that leads to an injury. In this situation, it is easy for the responsible driver to point the blame at you as a motorcyclist for losing control over your vehicle, even though someone else was clearly at fault. 

You must realize that this type of situation where you lose control doesn't automatically make you at fault. Even if you fail to come in contact with another vehicle, their actions on the road that caused you to lose control could still make them responsible for the accident. For example, if someone pulls in front of you too closely and you have to brake suddenly to avoid being hit. It is the responsibility of the other driver to give you enough room to ride safely on the road just as if you were driving a car. 

Not Wearing A Helmet Doesn't Make You Responsible For Your Injuries

Every state has its own laws regarding if motorcyclists are required to wear helmets. A problem you may run into is another driver claiming that they were not responsible for your injuries if you were not wearing a helmet. This is not true, and it doesn't matter what the law states regarding if you need to wear a helmet.

If you are injured in an accident and it is not your fault, wearing or not wearing a helmet does not change who is liable. The same laws apply to people driving a car and if they are wearing a seatbelt. Even though someone can suffer greater injuries by not wearing a seatbelt, it doesn't make the other driver less at fault if the victim wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. 

To learn more, reach out to a local personal injury lawyer.

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