Despite attempts in recent years to educate the motoring public of the need to be aware of motorcyclists, accidents that could easily have been avoided continue to happen. Last Thursday night, shortly after 7:00 p.m., a Fresno, California motorcycle officer was hit while riding his motorcycle. Michael Roberts, a ten year veteran of the Fresno Police Force, was traveling westbound on Bullard Street when a driver attempted to make a left turn from Fruit Street. The driver collided with Roberts causing his motorcycle to ignite. Roberts was pulled from the ensuing fire, but not before receiving second and third degree burns. The driver of the other vehicle was apparently not injured. Officer Roberts also suffered a concussion, broken ribs and will likely have to undergo several skin grafts and possibly other surgeries before he is completely healed. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident and there is no word whether charges will be filed against the driver of the car.
Sadly, this accident exemplifies the dangers of operating a motorcycle. It also points out that even if you are an excellent and experienced rider, your life is frequently dependant upon other drivers. The truth is that the vast majority of drivers on the roads simply do not look for, or recognize, motorcycles. Statistics tell us that of all motorcycle accidents, about three-fourths are collisions with another vehicle. Of those collisions, the driver of the other vehicle was responsible for violating the motorcycle’s right-of-way and causing the accident more than two-thirds of the time. What do these statistics tell us? They tell us that in the majority of accidents that motorcycles are involved in, they are not at fault. When asked about why they violated the motorcyclists right-of-way, the most common answer given by drivers is that they did not see the motorcycle – or did not see him until it was too late to stop. The most likely place for a motorcycle to be involved in an accident is an intersection while the most likely time is at night. Again, these statistics point out the fact that car drivers simply do not see motorcycles. While all of these statistics point out the need for motorcyclists to be even more vigilant and careful when they ride, it does not excuse the negligence of the drivers.
Statistics may tell us that drivers are not as aware of motorcycles as they should be, but that doesn’t change their legal obligation to use due care when operating a vehicle. In other words, just because we may know why they caused a collision doesn’t change the fact that they are legally responsible for the injuries caused in the collision, according to Fresno motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates in California. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and feel that the other driver violated your right-of-way, then you may be entitled to recover damages for their negligence. If you have suffered injuries as result of a motorcycle accident, seek the advice of an experienced California motorcycle attorney as soon as possible to have your case evaluated. You should not have to bear the costs of someone else’s negligence.
For a confidential evaluation, contact the offices of Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or contact him online at www.ledgerlaw.com
