Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Learn how crashes happen from an experienced New Orleans lawyer

A New Orleans motorcycle accident can happen in seconds and change your life. You are left with serious injuries. Medical expenses add up quickly. You may not be able to work and you are concerned about the future. When a negligent driver caused your motorcycle crash, you deserve financial compensation. but the legal process can be complicated.

At The Law Offices of John S. Williams, LLC, we know the challenges you face after a motorcycle accident. Insurance companies may question the seriousness of your injuries. They try to pay you as little as possible. The negligent driver who caused your accident may deny doing anything wrong and refuses to accept responsibility.

Negligence by others can result in a serious motorcycle accident

New Orleans motorcycle accident attorney John S. Williams knows that motorcyclists are vulnerable on the road. Too many drivers don’t act responsibly. They treat motorcycles as an annoyance or fail to notice them at all. They may even blame you for what happened. John investigates your motorcycle accident. He builds strong cases that hold negligent parties accountable.

Based on these facts, our law firm then negotiates for maximum compensation with the insurance companies responsible for compensating you. Many insurance companies agreed to negotiate in good faith and make a fair settlement offer. If not, we will not hesitate to file a lawsuit or take other legal action on your behalf seeking damages (financial compensation) for your injuries.

What is the main cause of motorcycle accidents?

Motorcycle accidents happen for many reasons, but most have one thing in common: the driver of another vehicle did something careless or reckless. Common causes of hit by car motorcycle accidents include:

• Speeding: When drivers go above the speed limit, their car becomes harder to control. This makes it more difficult for them to come to a complete stop to avoid a collision.
• Texting and Driving: Many drivers text while behind the wheel, even though it’s against the law. Texting takes their attention off the road. Though it may only be for a few seconds, they may fail to see a motorcycle near them or may start to drift into the other lane.
• Distracted Driving: Some drivers are distracted in other ways while behind the wheel. They may talk on the phone, adjust dashboard controls, program a GPS, talk with passengers or eat or drink.
• Drunk Driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal, but it still happens every day. Alcohol delays reaction time and impairs judgment, making a collision with a motorcycle more likely.
• Reckless Driving: We’ve all seen these drivers on the road. They are the ones who tailgate, change lanes without signaling, or pass illegally, increasing the risk of a crash with a motorcycle.
• Dooring: This is when a driver in a parked car opens the door directly into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist.
• Left hand turn at intersection: Drivers turning left at an intersection need to look carefully and check twice for motorcyclists before making a turn. When they don’t, they can crash head-on into an oncoming motorcyclist.
• Tailgating: Drivers need to leave enough space between their vehicle and motorcyclists in front of them. Motorcycles have shorter stopping distances than cars and sometimes need to slow down or change position in a lane to avoid a hazard, making rear-end accidents common.
• Sideswipe accidents: Changing lanes on the highway can be dangerous. When drivers fail to check their blind spots or change lanes without signaling, they sometimes hit a motorcycle with the side of their car, or force a biker off the road.
• Poor road conditions: Potholes, fallen tree limbs and other unmarked obstacles can result in hazardous road conditions. Motorcyclists often need to react fast to such dangerous road conditions. And when they do, a driver who’s speeding, following too closely, or just not paying attention can cause a collision.

Let Attorney John S. Williams fight for you

Insurance companies have this belief that motorcyclists are somehow reckless or irresponsible. When there’s an accident, they think the motorcyclist must have been at least partially responsible. John knows that most motorcyclists are very responsible on the road.

That’s why he investigates your motorcycle accident to get the facts. We gather evidence and carefully review accident reports and medical records. John identifies and interviews witnesses. If needed, he consults accident reconstruction experts and other specialists who can help him understand how driver negligence led to the accident that left you hurt.

John will stand by you and is committed to getting the best possible outcome in your case. If you were injured in a New Orleans motorcycle accident, learn more about how we can help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.