Have You Been In A Pennsylvania Motorcycle Crash?
Motorcycling is a common and beloved hobby across the United States, but riders know that it is not without risks. If you are involved in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, know that you have options to get your medical bills paid for and your pain and suffering compensated. Enlisting an experienced motorcycle accident attorney can be a big help toward ensuring your rights are protected.
Fatalities In Motorcycle Accidents Remain High
There are countless motorcyclists in the U.S., but all of them are not necessarily aware of just how hazardous riding can be. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that motorcycle riders are significantly overrepresented in traffic fatalities – approximately 14 percent of all traffic deaths are motorcyclists, while only 3 percent of all registered vehicles are motorcycles. Cyclists are roughly 28 times more likely to die in crashes than the occupants of a car or truck.
There are several different reasons for this. Riders do not have so much metal and glass to absorb the energy created in a crash, and in many states, are not even required to wear a helmet (doing so in Pennsylvania is optional if you are over age 21 and have at least two years’ riding experience). Other causes of crash deaths can be laid at the door of both cyclists and automobiles – for example, cyclists may speed or split lanes, which is illegal in Pennsylvania, but automobile drivers may not adequately check their blind spots or their turning radius in enough time for a cycle to move.
How Do I Recover?
If you have been injured, you may feel as though recovering for the harm you have suffered is too much effort, especially if you believe you may have been all or partially at fault. However, with the right attorney, the process can be smoother than you think, and even partial liability on your part does not necessarily mean that you are barred from recovery. Most motorcycle accidents are brought under a theory of personal injury, where four criteria have to be established in order to prevail in court.
You must be able to establish that the defendant owed a duty of care to the other motorists on the road, and that he breached that duty with his conduct. If you can also show that the defendant’s conduct was the cause of your injuries (and that you actually suffered tangible injuries), you have a good case for recovery. This holds true even if a jury finds you partially liable, as Pennsylvania law states that as long as your percentage of fault is not greater than the defendant’s (or defendants’), you are still entitled to recover that percentage.
Contact A Scranton Motorcycle Crash Lawyer
Riding motorcycles is a great way to get out and see the beauty of our state, but it can be a hazardous pursuit. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, the Scranton motorcycle accident attorneys at the Needle Law Firm are ready and willing to try and assist you with recovery. We serve Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, and most of northeastern Pennsylvania.
Resources:
.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.071.002.000..HTM
nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycle-safety
