Motor vehicles, in general, are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Everyone takes a risk nearly every day, just driving to work. However, the stats show that motorcycles are certainly one of the deadliest vehicles to use. Moreover, the trend has not really been getting better with time.

When you look at cars, there is a clear downward trend in deadly accidents. Even as the population goes up, cars are getting safer. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 30,601 deaths in passenger vehicles back in 1975. In the same year, there were 3,106 deaths involving motorcycles.

Deaths in cars did climb to 35,026 in the next few years, but then they started dropping. Everything sort of moves in waves, but the highest they’ve hit since was 34,105 in 1988. They’d fallen to 29,155 by 2007 and hit a low of 21,102 in 2014.

Motorcycles also saw highs and lows, moving in similar waves, but there is definitely not the same downward trend. They hit a high of 4,955 in 1980, then dropped to 2,056 in 1997. By 2008, though, they had climbed all the way to 5,112, which was far higher than the amount back in 1975. In 2014, when car-related deaths were as low as they’d ever been, there were 4,295 deaths on motorcycles.

While the total amount of motorcycle fatalities will always be lower since there are far fewer bikes, it is clear that they are still claiming as many lives as they ever have. If you have lost a loved one, be sure you know how to seek compensation.

Source: IIHS, “Motorcycles and ATVs | 2014,” accessed Oct. 23, 2016

A negligent driver can change a motorcyclist’s life in an instant. For anyone riding a motorcycle in Louisiana, motorcycle unawareness is a constant concern. Because motorcycle riders are so vulnerable, when a collision occurs there is a significant chance the rider will suffer injuries or even death. Motorcycle accidents do not discriminate and can happen to any rider.

Recently a Baton Rouge law enforcement officer on a motorcycle was injured when his bike was hit by a car. According to police the accident happened at approximately 4 p.m. as the officer was overseeing traffic for a local event. He was heading west and had his lights and sirens working when a vehicle turned left into the eastbound lane and crashed into him. The officer was taken to the hospital with injuries that were classified as moderate to severe. They are not thought to be life-threatening.

Regardless of who is involved in a motorcycle accident, there are numerous issues that must be considered after it has happened. The injuries could be significant enough that the motorcyclist is not able to return to work right away, if at all. There could be major medical expenses, the need for rehabilitation and perhaps long-term care. If the person has died, the family will need to figure out how they are going to move on with their lives. Insurers might make an attempt to settle the case, but the amount they offer is often lacking when the total costs of the accident are calculated.

When a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident while on the job, they have the right to collect workers’ compensation benefits. If the accident was caused by a negligent party other than the employer, they also have the right to bring a third-party lawsuit against that party. An experienced Lake Charles motorcycle accident lawyer can help the accident victim recover the compensation they deserve.

Source: wbrz.com, “BRPD motorcycle officer injured after crash on Government,” Kevin Dupuy, May 22, 2016

Motorcyclists are a frequent sight on the roads in Louisiana. While the majority of drivers will watch them closely and share the roads with them in a safe manner, accidents will still happen. In some instances, these accidents are due to unforeseen circumstances. In others, they result from a driver failing to follow the law and crashing into the motorcyclist. Given the vulnerability of motorcycle riders, there is a significant chance that an accident victim can be severely hurt or killed.

Recently in Louisiana, a man on a motorcycle died in a five-vehicle accident. According to police, the series of crashes started when a 72-year-old woman ran through a red light in her 2014 Infiniti QX80 and hit the 53-year-old rider. It is not known why the woman did not stop at the red signal, but it is not believed that intoxicating substances or speed were factors in the accident. The motorcycle accident victim was thrown from his 2016 Harley Davidson.

When the bike skidded across the street, it hit two other vehicles that were stopped at a red light. A second motorcycle rider was thrown from his 2006 Harley Davidson when he hit the Infiniti’s rear door on the driver’s side. He was sent to the hospital. The first man was pronounced dead when he was taken to the hospital. The other people involved in the accident were not injured.

Any kind of motor vehicle accident can have serious consequences. When there is a death, there will be many things for the family to consider. This can include the loss of income that the decedent provided, the companionship and other personal and emotional factors. Those who have lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident need to be cognizant of what they will have to face in the future. A full investigation to determine whether it happened due to a failure to yield, an act of recklessness or negligence or any other reason must be conducted with the interests of the family in mind. Speaking to an attorney experienced in helping clients after a motorcycle accident can help in pursuing a legal case to be compensated.

Source: NOLA.com, “1 dead in 5-vehicle crash in Gretna on Sunday; 2nd motorcycle death in 1 day,” Emily Lane, April 4, 2016

An old proverb goes two wrongs don’t make a right. It’s on the basis of that concept that enforcement of the law is something that is supposed to be left in the hands of duly appointed authorities. If everyone were to take matters into their own hands whenever they feel like it, it would be anarchy.

This comes to mind in light of a recent motorcycle accident that happened to be caught on video. It didn’t occur in Louisiana, but it well could have, so we feel it merits being brought to the attention of our readers.

This crash occurred along a stretch of rural road in Texas. What the visuals show is a motorcycle carrying two people attempting to pass a set of other vehicles on the two-lane road. This is despite a double yellow line indicating that no passing is allowed.

As the motorcycle approaches a white sedan, the car suddenly jogs across the yellow lines and then back again. The two vehicles apparently collide and the motorcycle goes down, throwing its two passengers to the asphalt. When the driver of the car is confronted with the news that he’s hit the motorcycle, his response is, “I don’t care.”

The driver of the motorcycle suffered some road rash and other injuries. His passenger suffered more serious damage requiring surgery.

Very often when accidents like this happen, the excuse often given by the driver of the car is that he or she didn’t see the motorcycle. In this case, the driver hasn’t made that claim. Rather, he claims he was reacting to having been bitten by a spider.

Police apparently didn’t buy that explanation. They’ve charged the man with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

In a rare jailhouse news conference, the defendant insisted he would never intentionally hurt someone, but he also admitted he’s angry at being charged. He says the accident never would have happened if the motorcyclist hadn’t been breaking the law.

Perhaps, but what seems apparent is that based on the evidence available, it seems legitimate to question if there wasn’t a bit of vigilantism going on. If there was, a claim of recklessness or negligence as part of a personal injury claim might be justified. An experienced attorney would be able to offer an assessment.

Anyone who rides motorcycles regularly in Louisiana knows that it can be unsafe. But the scope of the risks that riders of the two- and three-wheeled vehicles face is worth exploring. The information certainly will be illuminating for the drivers of large vehicles which make up the lion’s share of traffic on routes around Lake Charles. Some riders might find some of the nuggets useful, too.

It needs to be stressed from the outset that motorcycle riders have as much right to the road as any other driver. And if they should fall victim to serious or fatal injury because of another person’s negligence, they should know they have the same right to seek just compensation and remedy for damages suffered.

To begin with, here are some general statistics courtesy of the FindLaw library. In about 66 percent of cases, accidents involving motorcycles and other vehicles are the result of the other driver failing to yield the right of way to the cyclist. The risk of a motorcyclist dying in a crash is 26 times higher than for someone in a car.

Research has consistently shown that one of the biggest reasons motorcyclists face greater risks is because other drivers don’t see them. Because of their smaller size, they are easier to miss. It’s also easy for them to be obscured by bigger vehicles.

And accidents due to faulty parts on motorcycles are no less common with motorcycles as with larger vehicles. Indeed, two-wheeled vehicles can be more susceptible to instability accidents because of their design and if that design is faulty or the manufacturer hasn’t properly aligned front and rear wheels, a product liability claim might be warranted.

In any event, when accidents happen victims should first seek proper medical care. But a consultation with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney should be high on the list of priorities.