You’ve been itching to get out on the open road on your motorcycle. So, when you finally make it there, you feel as though you’re in heaven. However, you see a car approach you without stopping, and suddenly, it strikes your bike and injures you. In a matter of seconds, your heavenly ride has turned into a hellacious ordeal.
The driver who struck you may have been behaving carelessly behind the wheel at the time of the accident. If his or her negligence caused you to suffer injuries in the motorcycle collision, you have the right to pursue monetary compensation.
The risk that motorcyclists face
Those who drive motorcycles have a unique situation on the open road. They certainly enjoy the freedom that comes with riding on a motorcycle — a freedom that simply can’t be duplicated in a car. On the flip side, motorcycle riders face unique dangers with which car drivers do not have to contend. For instance, no major protective barriers surround motorcyclists to protect them from the road and other vehicles.
Research shows that in approximately two-thirds of accidents involving cars versus motorcycles, the person driving the other car violated the right of way of the motorcyclist, thus causing the collision. In addition, motorists generally do not see motorcycles as easily as they do other cars. This is why about 70 percent of wrecks involving motorcycles and cars happen at intersections.
The role of negligence in motorcycle crashes
Perhaps the car driver who hit and injured you was driving while distracted or driving too quickly for road conditions, for example. In this case, the other driver was negligent, so you may seek to hold him or her financially responsible for the injuries you suffered in the motorcycle wreck. However, here in Louisiana, if a court finds that you were partially to blame for the injury-causing motorcycle collision, the monetary compensation you might end up receiving reduces according to the level of fault in the collision attributed to your actions by the court.
How monetary compensation can help
A monetary award can be immensely helpful following a motorcycle collision resulting from another motorist’s negligence. For instance, the award might help to cover medical expenses or even the loss of wages if your injuries kept you from going back to work for an extended period. Monetary compensation may also help with addressing emotional distress, along with pain and suffering stemming from the crash.