Are you aware that three-quarters of motorcycle accidents involve collisions with other motorists, typically driving passenger cars? The beautiful Californian landscape is the perfect place to get your motorcycles and other risk-takers out and cruise around the roads and state highways as you appreciate their breathless scenery. California is the number one state with the highest number of registered motorcycles, which makes the state popular for motorcycle riding. But rider inexperience accidents claim many lives each year in California cities, especially in Los Angeles motorcycle accidents. And this makes sense, as it is reported that experienced riders with a motorcycle endorsement pay more attention to riders than most people in passenger motor vehicles or large trucks.

Although motorcycle riding can be fun and even exhilarating, it is also very dangerous. According to the California Office of Traffic Security (OTS), there were 474 motorcycle deaths in 2019 in California. Motorcycle rides pose a severe threat to the riders, even if they’re driving carefully, obeying traffic laws, or wearing a helmet. The threat magnifies multitudes when an inexperienced rider takes the handlebars and drives too fast, refusing to reduce their speed or travel safely.

What About Better Reflexes and Acting Quickly?

An experienced rider may be able to handle better adverse situations such as bad weather, severe traffic conditions, and seriously sharp turns. However, these are not experts. An inexperienced rider is at a much greater risk of getting into an accident. That said, if you’re an inexperienced motorcycle rider with a motorcycle license, motorcycle insurance, and a US Department of Transportation-compliant helmet, no one should stop you from enjoying a ride on California roads. You should not be prevented from getting to your destination safely.

Depending on your training, you should start out slow and in a low-traffic area to better understand risks and risk assessment and improve riding a motorcycle, environment, and survival tactics while on the road. If you suffered injuries from a motorcycle crash that was not your fault, you need to reach out to Ehline Law and our California motorcycle accident attorneys. We handle all types of motorcycle accident claims and have a proven record of successful verdicts against the claims our attorneys fight.

Veteran riders and other experienced riders were not always experts. They have already taken their lumps, failed to use their rear brakes, crashed on fallen tree limbs, closed calls with other vehicles, etc. They are no longer overconfident riders, and they already know that winning against the other vehicle won’t happen overnight, and you will need time to see a doctor and heal your life.

Learn From Motorcycle Lawyers About Your Rights

Find out about forming an essential attorney-client relationship with our firm to sue over rough roads, crashes with other motorists, or a new motorcyclist with too little riding experience to be sharing California’s roads. Failure to ride at a safe speed is a major cause of crashes. Shifting gears, who do we hold responsible for paying for common types of serious injuries and speeding fatalities from an automobile accidents?

Let’s learn some more about inexperienced motorcycle rider accidents. (Novice rider examples like Failure to yield for emergency vehicles, unsafe lane change, lane splitting, and going over posted speed limits under California law, etc.) To learn more, submit your info on our online contact form or call us immediately at (213) 596-9642.

Facts About Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents are not as common as motor vehicle accidents, but the outcome can be devastating and shocking when they happen.

Numerous studies and surveys reveal interesting facts about motorcycle accidents, some of which include:

• An estimated 75% of motorcycle accidents occur due to collisions with other vehicles.
• Only 25% of all motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle accidents, which means that the crash occurred because of bad road conditions or other hazards on the road.
• Less than 3% of motorcycle accidents occur due to manufacturing defects or faults in the vehicle, and these contribute significantly to the single-vehicle collisions where the rider loses control due to a burst tire.
• More than 60% of single-vehicle collisions are due to human error.
• Poor road conditions such as potholes, debris, and pavement ridges cause 2% of all motorcycle accidents, while animals cause 1%.
• More than 60% of multiple-vehicle collisions involving a motorcycle occur because of the motorist violating the motorcyclist’s right of way. This usually occurs at intersections when other motorists are running the stop light, changing lanes, or violating other traffic controls.
• Motorists fail to recognize or identify motorcyclists on the road, especially when they’re in their blind spot, resulting in a left-hand turn collision. In half of the multiple-vehicle accidents, motorists fail to see the motorcyclist due to the glare from the sun or other motorists blocking the view.
• Motorcycle accidents have a higher risk of fire as 62% of motorcycle accidents had a fuel leak after the accident occurred.
• Motorists often argue that motorcyclists drive recklessly, and insurers use this bias against motorcyclists when defending their policyholders in personal injury claims. However, the average speed of a motorcycle before an accident occurs is 29.8 miles per hour.
• Motorcycle riding training provides the motorcycle rider with the experience needed to drive safely and defensively on the roads. However, 92% of the motorcycle riders involved in an accident do not have the necessary motorcycle riding training and are self-taught.
• Around 50% of motorcycle injuries involve lower extremities such as their legs, feet, ankles, knees, and thighs. 13% of motorcycle accidents result in groin injuries to the rider.
• A motorcycle is much more dangerous to the rider than a car is to its driver. 98% of all multiple-vehicle collisions result in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider. 45% of all motorcycle accidents result in severe injuries to the rider.
• Statistics suggest that protective clothing, including gloves, heavy boots, and jackets, helps prevent frequent injuries such as abrasions, lacerations, bruises, and other road rash injuries. A full-face helmet prevents the risk of injuries to the face more than half-covered helmets.
• Motorist riders wearing helmets are at a lower risk of neck injuries than those without helmets.

Motorcycle accidents are deadly, but shockingly, less than 10% of the riders in an accident had some form of insurance to cover their medical bills or property damage.

Common Causes of Inexperienced Motorcycle Rider Accidents

Numerous studies point to the fact that motorcycle riders are at a higher risk of getting involved in an accident during their first year of riding a motorcycle. Inexperienced motorcycle riders with less than five months of experience contribute to more than 50% of motorcycle accidents in the country. Young riders aged between 16 and 24 are more prone to motorcycle accidents than other age groups.

One of the major reasons why inexperienced motorcycle riders are more prone to accidents is that they do not have the experience to assess risky road conditions and how to handle them. Besides knowing defensive driving, skills and techniques are required to safely ride a motorcycle, and most inexperienced motorcyclists don’t have those. A combination of any of these factors increases the risk of fatal motorcycle accidents.

The best way to avoid accidents is to practice defensive driving. New riders must look for potential hazards, adverse conditions, and obstructions such as fallen trees, animals, and others. They should be able to react to these hazardous conditions in a way that would protect them and also not cause any damage to others around them.

Paying strict attention to the road can help identify hazards that inexperienced motorcyclists can then avoid. Riding slowly on poorly constructed or damaged roads can also prevent any accidents that are waiting to happen.

How Can Inexperienced Motorcycle Riders Avoid Accidents?

Although new motorcycle riders must complete a rider education course in California from an authorized training center, inexperienced riders are still at a higher risk of accidents.

Here are some safety tips inexperienced riders should follow to prevent any collisions or accidents.

Purchasing the Right Motorcycle

When youngsters decide to buy a motorcycle, they want to be part of that stereotype that “motorcycles are badass.” They are often tempted to purchase a motorcycle that may be too big for them just because it looks cool. It is important to remember that if you don’t know how to handle a motorcycle, riding a heavy or the biggest bike can increase your chances of an accident. Always choose a motorcycle that you can comfortably sit on, reach your feet to the ground, and be able to handle the bike effortlessly.

Pre-ride Inspections

If your motorcycle is facing an issue, it can increase the risk of an accident, which is why many mechanics and motorcycle experts emphasize the importance of conducting pre-ride inspections before each ride. You must check the motorcycle’s tires for wear and tear, the lights, fluid levels, fuel, brakes, and so on. Any defect in the motorcycle may cause serious accidents. Hence, it is best to conduct pre-ride checks to ensure everything is alright before setting off for your destination.

Wear Protective Gear

Besides the fact that California follows Universal Helmet Laws, which make it mandatory to wear a helmet, wearing a motorcycle helmet can prevent serious injuries to the head. Riders must also have the right protective gear such as jackets, long pants, gloves, and other types of gear to protect other parts of the body from lacerations, abrasions, bruises, and road rash.

Ride Defensively

Even if you follow the traffic rules, it will not keep you 100% safe as there are other vehicles on the road, including passenger cars, and they may be driving recklessly.

It’s crucial to remember that motorcycles are small vehicles, and motor vehicle drivers are often unable to see motorcyclists, which can cause a serious accident if motorcyclists do not practice defensive riding.

Always allow enough stopping distance between your motorcycle and other vehicles. Also, stay alert for vehicles that switch lanes more often.

Follow Traffic Regulations

The traffic rules are in place for drivers and riders to follow to prevent any collisions.

For example, you cannot ride a motorcycle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as it can impair your judgment and affect your riding abilities. Stay within the speed limit and follow all the traffic rules, especially for any road signs that you encounter.

Monitor Your Surroundings

The leading cause of motorcycle accidents is motorists making a left turn without checking their blind spot for motorcyclists, causing a left-hand turn collision.

Motorists have a duty of care to drive safely to prevent accidents with other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. However, motorcyclists should be aware of their surroundings as motorists can be reckless toward motorcycle riders.

Avoid Bad Weather

Bad weather can make it difficult for even the best motorcyclists to ride safely due to lower visibility. New riders should avoid taking their motorcycles in bad weather.

If you’re riding and it starts to downpour, drive slowly and ease down on the braking. Hard brakes on wet, slippery surfaces can cause motorcycles to slip, resulting in injuries to the rider.

Keep on Practicing

The more you practice, the better you’ll get at riding your motorcycle. Find an empty place where you can ride a motorcycle safely, and when you’re confident in your skills, test them on the road before riding on a state highway.

Ehline Law’s California Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

If you suffered injuries from a motorcycle accident due to another’s fault, Ehline Law and our California motorcycle accident attorneys have decades of experience handling motorcycle accident claims and representing injured riders across California.

Our legal team will conduct a complete investigation into the accident to determine the party at fault. The other motorist typically did not see the motorcyclist in around half of all motorcycle collisions. Other accidents were due to poor road conditions, product malfunctions, or even inexperience. One or multiple parties could be responsible for injuries to the motorcycle riders involved, and our attorneys can identify the responsible parties and hold them accountable for your loss.

If you or your loved ones are suffering from injuries due to somebody else’s fault, it’s not fair that the injured victim has to also carry the financial burden besides the injuries they are suffering from. Contact us at + (833) LETS-SUE for a free consultation with our personal injury lawyers.

Our attorneys have had successful verdicts representing injured motorcyclists despite the bias against motorcycle accident victims.

We have recovered more than $150 million in personal injury settlements and verdicts across 3,000 injured clients. Some of our motorcycle accident recoveries include:

• Lanham v. Doe Texas-based Oil Company – $10.5 million (Severe spine and brain injuries)
• Doe v. Doe – $8.7 million (Severe spinal injuries)
• Altamirano v. Harrison – $3.265 million (Spinal and hip fractures)

With our superior results and skilled trial litigators, we are more than confident that our law firm can handle your case and the third-party insurance company playing games with motorcycle riders.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a Los Angeles Inexperienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

We also understand that after a serious accident, the injured victim cannot bear the financial burden of the cost of legal representation. However, our attorneys handle all our motorcycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis and have vast experience with insurance claims involving passenger vehicles. You don’t have to pay our attorneys up front, but they’ll take a small agreed-upon percentage of the final settlement or verdict.

Ehline Law and our skilled personal injury lawyers remain committed to helping fight for our client’s rights and ensuring that California roads are safe for all motorcyclists. Contact us now for more information, or visit any of our law offices across California. Call us at (213) 596-9642 or book a virtual consultation online.

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