Motorcyclists Suffer More Severe Injuries Than Motorists in Collisions

When motorcyclists are involved in motor vehicle accidents, they are likely to sustain injuries far more serious than those sustained by people riding in cars. A motorist wearing a seat belt may only receive minor injuries, yet the motorcyclist involved in the same accident could require extensive medical care and experience debilitating levels of pain. Motorcyclists are also more likely to die in a collision.

While it has been widely known that motorcycle accidents present an increased risk for serious injury and death than car collisions, the cost of treatment for these injuries has not been thoroughly calculated. A recent Canadian study sought to do just that.

In this study, researchers reviewed information concerning 26,831 people who received medical care after being injured in a motorcycle accident and 281,826 who were hurt in car wrecks. The injury rate for motorcycle collisions was triple the injury rate for car accidents. In addition, the study determined that severe injuries were 10 times more likely in motorcycle accidents.

As to the costs of care between the two groups, motorcycle accidents required almost double the amount of health care spending for treatment over the first two years following an accident. The average cost for medical care in motorcycle accidents was $5,825 Canadian dollars (about U.S. $4,569) compared with $2,995 (about U.S. $2,349) for car accidents.

Finally, the study found that the yearly injury rate for motorcyclists was 2,194 people out of every 100,000 registered motorcycle owners, compared with 718 people out of every 100,000 registered car owners.

Under California law, motorcycle accident victims have the right to be made whole again if they were not at fault, or not fully at fault, for an accident. In fact, in accidents between motorcycles and cars, it is more often than not the driver of the car who is at fault, because drivers often fail to take proper precautions to look for motorcyclists on the road around them.

Motorcycle accident injuries can be extremely costly to treat. If you were in an accident as a motorcyclist, you should pursue all remedies you may have. You should not presume that your own health insurance will fully cover your required medical treatment, and you may be able to receive additional compensation under the law.

Our seasoned San Jose motorcycle accident lawyers have helped many victims at the time in their lives when they needed it the most. If you are facing costly medical treatment and other damages, let our firm handle your legal matters and get you the justice you deserve. Call us today at 408-289-1417 to schedule a free consultation.

• Motorcycle crashes cause far more severe injuries than car accidents