We all know that motorcycles offer little to no safety features and that the one piece of safety equipment that could save lives is but a suggestion in all but 19 states. But did you know that in 2015, there were 88,000 motorcycle accidents in the U.S., and 4,976 resulted in death? In fact, motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in an accident than occupants of passenger vehicles and 5 times more likely to sustain injury than their 2 and four-door counterparts.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are approximately 8.6 million private and commercial motorcycles on U.S. roads compared to the 253 million cars, trucks and SUV’s. Motorcycles are less visible and stable and when they crash, riders lack the protection offered by a traditional vehicle. Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, most states recommend wearing a helmet to help prevent head injuries, but it is only required in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
Unfortunately, drivers in Lake Charles often do not take enough care when sharing the road with motorcyclists and motorcycle accidents occur in Lake Charles with concerning regularity. Motorcyclists are inherently vulnerable in an accident due to their lack of physical protection, and the results of these accidents can be devastating to victims and their families.
The Lake Charles motorcycle accident attorneys at N. Craig Richardson provide aggressive representation to those who have been injured due to the negligence of others, whether that is a distracted driver or a local government that failed to sufficiently maintain roads.