Lancaster Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Located just at the western tip of the Mojave Desert, nestled in the Antelope Valley between the Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains, Lancaster, California is a favorite destination for motorcyclists in southern California. Whether commuting down State Route 14 into Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, braving the Pearblossom Highway towards Las Vegas, or curving along national forests and taking Elizabeth Lake Road for an afternoon ride and a stop at the Rock Inn, there are endless reasons for taking your bike for a ride in and around Lancaster.
Despite the freedom, economy and thrill of riding, experienced riders know that motorcycles come with a cost. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revealed that 90% of motorcycle riders are at risk of injury in a crash, and motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely to die in a collision than the occupant of a car or truck. In 2017, 5,100 motorcyclists died on U.S. roads. That’s 14% of all traffic deaths, even though motorcycles make up only 3% of registered motor vehicles nationwide.
Aware of these risks, experienced riders are skilled at handling their bikes, riding defensively and avoiding the mistakes made by other drivers on the road. Yet judgment, skill and defensive riding can’t always prevent a motorcycle accident caused by a speeding, drunk or distracted driver of a car or truck. Lancaster motorcycle accident attorney Paul Kistler understands how motorcycle accidents happen. He also knows the needs of motorcycle accident victims after a crash and the challenges they face getting compensation to meet those needs. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident in Lancaster, call the Kistler Law Firm for immediate assistance.
What causes Lancaster motorcycle accidents?
Many factors combine to make motorcycle accidents more likely to occur and to be more serious or deadly when they do happen. Being many times smaller than even the smallest cars on the road, motorcycles are simply harder to spot on the road than larger vehicles. A driver who does not check mirrors and blind spots and signal well in advance of a turn or lane change is likely to collide with a motorcycle riding nearby. The smaller size of motorcycles also makes it difficult for drivers to accurately judge the speed and distance of an oncoming bike. One of the most common types of motorcycle accidents that occur happens when drivers make a left turn into the path of a motorcycle traveling toward them in the opposite lane. Finally, since only around 3% of vehicles on the road at any given time are motorcycles, most drivers simply aren’t aware of and expecting to see motorcycles, so they don’t consider the possibility of a motorcycle when changing lanes or executing other traffic maneuvers.
Since motorcycle riders are completely exposed without the protection of a steel frame and advanced safety features of a car, collisions between car and bike can result in catastrophic injuries or death to the rider who is hit by several thousand pounds of force multiplied by the speed of the vehicles. Survivors of serious Lancaster motorcycle accidents may be left with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, compound fractures, amputations, burns and many other of the most serious injuries that can befall a traffic accident victim.
What can motorcycle riders do to avoid motorcycle crashes in Lancaster?
Knowing how to handle your bike on the road is key to avoiding a motorcycle accident or avoiding the most serious injuries in a Lancaster crash. Experience on the bike and riding with other experienced riders is about the only way to learn these valuable skills. Other steps you can take to protect yourself from a motorcycle crash include:
Don’t drink and drive – Research conducted into victims of fatal traffic accidents find that alcohol surfaced among motorcycle accident victims at a disproportionately higher rate than victims of car crashes. Most riders tested did not have a blood alcohol level above .08%, which equates to driving under the influence in California, but the research indicates that even having lower amounts of alcohol in the bloodstream puts a rider at a greater risk of being killed in a crash.
Get a good helmet and wear it – California law requires all riders to wear a motorcycle safety helmet that complies with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) standards. Helmets are required for good reason. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that wearing a helmet can lower the risk of dying in a motorcycle crash by 37% and lessen the chances of a head injury by 69%. In addition to DOT certification, consider choosing a helmet that is also certified by the Snell Memorial Foundation, or select a helmet with a reinforced composite or thermoplastic shell. Full-face helmets provide additional protection to the face and chin.
Call the Kistler Law Firm Attorneys after a Motorcycle Accident in Lancaster
Insurance companies and jury members often start from the proposition that the rider must have been reckless, aggressive or otherwise to blame in causing the accident. Overcoming this bias is a chief job of any motorcycle accident attorney. The motorcycle crash lawyers at the Kistler Law Firm understand that texting while driving, distracted driving and other negligent behaviors are often the cause of motorcycle crashes in Lancaster. We go to work right away building a strong case that proves the other driver’s fault, while we make sure our clients are receiving the right kind of medical care to address their injuries. When the time is right, we negotiate a settlement with the insurance company that more than compensates our clients for their injuries, lost income, pain and suffering, and the disruption to their life this accident has caused.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Lancaster motorcycle accident, call the Kistler Law Firm, A.P.C. at 661-206-6990. Your consultation is free, and we won’t charge any fee until after we have recovered compensation on your behalf.
