Jay Trucks & Associates, PC
600 Pine St. Clare, MI 48617
1.800.762.8623

Motorcycle Accidents

Serving the communities of Flint, Saginaw, Traverse City and Lansing, Michigan

There may be no vehicle accident more terrifying than a motorcycle accident. If you have been on a motorcycle, you know that there is very little protecting you from the road, other vehicles, trees, and road hazards. Some states, unfortunately, do not even require the use of a helmet while riding a motorcycle.

According to Michigan State Police, the number of motorcycle accidents in 2007 saw a staggering 54% increase, and that number is only expected to rise. The Michigan police assert that approximately half of those accidents were actually caused by bikers, and most of those accidents were single-vehicle accidents. However, the drivers of passenger vehicles and trucks are often at fault in motorcycle accidents. Sometimes car and truck drivers do not show motorcyclists the same courtesies they show other car and truck drivers. Some drivers even behave recklessly behind the wheel by taunting motorcyclists and refusing to share the road with them.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a motorcyclist is 15 times more likely to die in a crash than a passenger in an automobile accident. Because motorcycles lack the physical protection of a car and are often difficult to see, motorcyclists are more susceptible to serious injuries from other vehicles on the road, debris from road construction and potholes, inclement weather, and manufacturer defects.

The increasing number of accidents in Michigan and all over the United States may be partly attributed to the increasing popularity of motorcycles. The Insurance Information Institute reports that sales of motorcycles reached about 1,100,000 in 2004, the highest number in a single year ever. During the same year, however, motorcycle fatalities reached an all-time high, too. In 2004, 46% of motorcyclists killed in crashes were age 40 and over. There is one ray of light in these gloomy statistics: the number of fatalities among cyclists under the age of 30 has actually decreased in recent years.

What To Do If You’re In an Accident

• Seek medical attention immediately
• Don’t say anything to the other party and don’t admit fault to anyone
• Report the accident to authorities
• Notify your insurance company
• Contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area

Accident Facts

Most motorcycle accidents take place close to home during a short trip for shopping, errands, socializing, etc. Weather is usually not a factor in motorcycle accidents. Intersections are the most likely places for motorcycle accidents when the other vehicle violates the right-of-way or violates traffic controls. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle going straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming cycle. In single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was the precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases with the typical error being a slide out and fall due to over braking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering. 

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident in Flint, Saginaw, or Traverse City, Michigan, please contact the experienced motorcycle accident attorneys at Jay Trucks & Associates, P.C. today to schedule your confidential consultation.