Orange County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

In light of its beautiful skies and historic roadways, California is a motorcycle magnet, with 952,977 registered cyclists in 2021, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Riding a motorcycle can be thrilling, empowering the driver and passenger to experience something you don’t get while in a passenger car.

But motorcyclists are at an increased risk of suffering severe injuries or dying when involved in crashes. A motorcycle’s compact package does little to protect riders and passengers against the force and impact of steel and concrete.

The Orange County motorcycle accident legal team at Atticus Injury Law protect victims of motorcycle accidents and their families, fighting for their rights to secure justice when careless drivers hurt or kill their loved ones.

California Motorcycle Accident Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) most recent data, 5,579 motorcyclists died in the United States in 2020. Sadly, NHTSA also indicates that this represents 14% of all traffic fatalities and is the highest since the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) began in 1975. NHTSA’s report reveals that 82,528 motorcyclists were injured in 2020, a slight decrease from 2019 figures.

NHTSA also reports that approximately 539 motorcyclists lost their lives in California in 2020. The California Office of Traffic Safety reports that 657 people in Orange County were injured or killed in motorcycle accidents in 2020.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Many causes may contribute to motorcycle accidents, but distracted driving, failure to yield, intoxicated driving, and speeding are frequent culprits.

The team at Atticus Injury Law has extensive experience investigating various types of motorcycle accidents. Like the literary lawyer Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, after whom he was named, Atticus Wegman is caring, diligent, and fiercely loyal to his clients. He does what it takes to discover all necessary evidence involved in the crash, which he uses to craft arguments in his clients’ favor.

Inattentive and Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is hazardous, causing 8% of all fatal crashes in the United States in 2020, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Passenger cars, light trucks, and commercial drivers have difficulty seeing and reacting appropriately to motorcyclists on the road. When the drivers involved are doing things other than keeping both hands on the wheel and paying attention to the driving, it can have fatal consequences.

Distracted drivers, such as those eating, talking or texting on their phones, doing their hair, or performing other activities, significantly reduce their ability to see motorcycles and appropriately respond to hazards. This increases their likelihood of being involved in a crash or causing other vehicles to collide because of exaggerated or inappropriately timed defensive maneuvers.

Failure to Yield and Improper Lane Usage

Despite nationwide efforts to increase awareness of and respect for motorcycles on the road, many drivers still fail to yield to or allow these vehicles to operate safely on the highway. Drivers of passenger cars mistakenly believe that motorcycles do not need an entire lane of traffic, thus increasing the risk of dangerous passing maneuvers.

Additionally, some inexperienced motorcyclists take risks and engage in unsafe practices, such as weaving and lane splitting, that may lead to accidents if done unskillfully.

Driving While Intoxicated

The debilitating effects of driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs are well-documented. Alcohol severely limits your decision-making ability, impairs your depth perception, and significantly reduces your reaction time. The result is a deadly combination, particularly for motorcyclists, who have little to protect themselves when a crash occurs, and for whom it is much harder to maneuver out of harm’s way safely.

Speeding

Speeding is an additional cause of motorcycle accidents. Vehicles that speed create an unsafe environment for their car and those around them. Because the vehicle is traveling faster than is safe or legal under the circumstances, the driver’s reaction time is necessarily reduced. This, unfortunately, leads to a frequent number of accidents causing injuries and deaths each year.

Frequent Injuries From a Motorcycle Accidentycle Accidents

Motorcyclists are at a greater risk of suffering severe injuries because they have virtually no protection besides a helmet and clothing to shield them in an accident. Common injuries include head injuries, broken bones, lacerations, and soft tissue injuries.

Head Injuries

Victims of motorcycle accidents frequently suffer head injuries, especially if they were not wearing a helmet at the time. Common head injuries include concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), open head injuries, and fractured skulls.

Broken Bones

When you’re in a motorcycle accident, your body bears the brunt of the collision, commonly resulting in broken bones. Those who survive these crashes may walk away with a broken arm, leg, nose, wrist, foot, spine, or pelvis.

Lacerations and Road Rash

Even if you are wearing a helmet, your clothing may not be enough to protect you against the force of an accident. Because of this, you may suffer lacerations, road rash, bruises, and other injuries.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Motorcycle accident survivors may suffer from soft tissue injuries affecting their muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries can vary significantly in terms of their severity and the recovery outlook.

I Was Injured in a Motorcycle Accident. What Should I Do?

Your priority is to seek medical attention. Even minor injuries may be a subtle sign of a severe condition, and the best practice is to protect your physical health by having a doctor evaluate you. Further, seeking medical attention creates a paper trail that you can use to support your legal claim for compensation. Your next step is to report the injury to law enforcement and file a claim with your insurance company. Informing the police about the accident ensures that you comply with your legal obligations, strengthening your underlying claim. Filing an insurance claim helps begin the process of securing compensation. Next, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer to help you navigate the claims process and, if necessary, file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Atticus Injury Law: Experienced Orange County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle accidents can forever alter the course of your life, but you may have options. Filing a claim against the at-fault driver may be necessary to secure the compensation you deserve.

Atticus Injury Law operates with integrity, honesty, and compassion. We genuinely care about your well-being and will treat you like a person, not a dollar sign. While we have recovered millions on behalf of clients throughout Orange County, what motivates us is the closure and peace we bring to our clients. In recognition of Atticus Wegman’s work on behalf of his clients, Super Lawyers magazine named him on the list of “Top 100 Up-and-Coming Lawyers in California” from 2016 through 2022.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation if you or your loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in Orange County.

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Atticus Wegman is an outstanding attorney that gets results. His attention to detail and ability to think through the issues on multiple levels eliminates surprises for his clients and gets them the best results possible. From my personal experience, I know that his work ethic is superb as is his knowledge, consistency, trustworthiness and reliability.

Attorney Atticus Wegman explained everything in terms that I could understand. He provided me with options when I thought I had none. Atticus made the entire experience far less intimidating than I had anticipated....

Call Atticus as he is the best!! He worked so hard for my case and I was compensated for my personal injuries and loss of wages. Atticus took my case and always kept me updated and followed through on everything. Thank you Atticus for all your hard work and taking my case very personal as I obtained compensation 3 times more than expected.

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