A car motorcycle accident presents a scenario that is far more dangerous to the motorcycle rider than it is for the car driver.
The differences between cars and motorcycles are significant, and these differences contribute to what happens to rider when these vehicles come together in a collision.
As an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer and motorcycle rider, I have seen hundreds of cases involving a car-motorcycle accident, and I am very good with determining and presenting your case to the insurance company on how these types of collisions are the fault of the car driver. Every incident is different, but there are common threads and issues that come into play when looking at a Pennsylvania motorcycle accident.
Car – Motorcycle Accident Cause and Effect
Size and Weight Differences
The average weight of a motorcycle is 400 pounds. The average weight of a car is 4000 pounds. This makes a typical car heavier than 13 motorcycles. Following the laws of physics, motorcycles will either be sent into uncontrolled motion or crushed by the relatively large mass of a car. The dimensional size discrepancy between motorcycles and cars means that a motorcycle and it’s rider could become pinned underneath the car, or between a car and another object such as a tree or building. This can cause permanent damage to the motorcyclist’s body.
Different Levels of Exposure
A car driver is protected by the frame of the car around them, while the motorcycle rider has no such protection. This exposes the motorcycle rider to direct contact with the car, and to being hit by flying objects.
Drivers Are Usually Harnessed, But Not Riders
Seatbelts are a safety device employed by car drivers and passengers, and they have proven to be extremely effective in keeping people from flying about during a collision. Motorcycle riders have no such harness, nor would they want one, because studies have shown that when a rider stays with the motorcycle in a collision it is even more dangerous than being thrown away from it. Also, head injuries are very common in these accidents, as motorcyclists are not required to wear protective head gear or helmets in Pennsylvania.
Vision Issues in a Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycle riders don’t have a problem seeing cars, but cars do have problems seeing motorcycles. Blind spots present in every cars’ sight lines, present angles where objects will be hidden from view. Even other cars fall into these blind spots, so we can be sure that much smaller motorcycles will be obscured in this way as well.
If you have been hit by a car, or a car made a maneuver to cause you to hit it while riding your motorcycle in Pennsylvania, call leading Philadelphia injury lawyer Jeffrey Harlan Penneys at 1-800-465-8795 (1-800-injury-law) for expert counsel and rapid, professional motorcycle accident settlements. Don’t wait long after a car-motorcycle accident to get the help you need and deserve.