Motorcycle Crash Lawyer St. Louis and Missouri

What Are Common Causes of St. Louis Motorcycle Crashes?

• Failure to Yield to Motorcycles When Turning — When making turns, many drivers fail to yield to motorcycles, either because they misjudge the distance and speed of the motorcycle or because they simply fail to look for another vehicle. Wrong turns and failures to yield are responsible for 42% of all motorcycle deaths, according to recent research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
• Speeding — The faster a vehicle is moving, the smaller the margin of error is for a driver. Speeding drivers in a car might not react quick enough when a motorcycle is approaching or may overreact, increasing the risk of a crash. Our Missouri motorcycle crash lawyers see far too many crashes that involve excessive speeds. Speeding accounts for 34% of motorcycle crashes, according to research from the IIHS.
• Alcohol/Drug Impairment — Drivers who drive drunk or under the influence of drugs are much more likely to be involved in a crash. In fact, according to recent research, 28% of fatal motorcycle crashes involved alcohol. Our Missouri motorcycle lawyers at Burger Law in St. Louis do not like to see these numbers. In rural areas, the proportion of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes is highest for motorcyclists at 24%.
• Failure to “Share the Road” — Motorcyclists have the same rights as any vehicle on the road, yet other drivers frequently treat riders with disdain. Other drivers often refuse to yield to a motorcyclist, cut a biker off or make risky maneuvers that cause crashes. Seventy-four percent of recent motorcycle crashes were frontal collisions.
• Failure to Check Blind Spots for Motorcycles — Drivers who do not turn their heads to fully scan might miss a motorcycle next to them. Many drivers end up sideswiping motorcycles because they fail to check before changing lanes or merging. In one recent year alone, there were 82,000 motorcycle injuries in the U.S.
• Distracted Driving — Drivers who are distracted by talking, texting, snacking, adjusting, or looking at a navigation device will fail to see a motorcycle — or likely anything — in their path. Motorcycles are smaller than cars to begin with, and failing to pay attention can be a fatal mistake. An estimated 80% of reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death.
• Defective Motorcycles — Defects of any kind to a motorcycle’s key components, including its engine, brakes, tires, wheels, etc., can result in a crash. Our Chicago motorcycle crash lawyer can work with our product liability attorneys to hold the manufacturer accountable for defective products that caused your motorcycle to crash. Motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes resulted in 31% less fatal crashes than the same models without.
• Road Hazards— Motorcycles are especially vulnerable to crashes in Missouri caused by road hazards like rain, snow and ice. As is the case with any type of crash our Missouri motorcycle crash lawyers in St. Louis have seen, safety gear greatly reduces the likelihood of severe injury or death. According to the CDC, helmets reduce the risk of head injury in a motorcycle crash by 69%. Wearing armored motorcycle boots reduces the risk of an open-wound injury by 90%.

What Are the Types of Injuries Sustained in St. Louis Motorcycle Crashes?

It is a fact that motorcyclists are much more at risk for injury than passengers in a typical car in an accident, simply due to the openness and lack of frame on a motorcycle. A serious motorcycle crash can alter your life for a long period of time or even permanently disable you. Be sure to call your Missouri motorcycle crash attorney at Burger Law in St. Louis at (314) 500-HURT or contact us for a free consultation.

The Burger Law Missouri motorcycle crash lawyers find that motorcyclists frequently sustain one of more of the following injuries in a crash:

• Concussions or brain damage
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Amputation or loss of limbs
• Internal bleeding or organ damage
• Broken bones
• Muscle and ligament sprains, strains, and tears
• Severe lacerations
• Permanent nerve damage
• Burns

Burger Law's Missouri personal injury motorcycle accident law firm based in St. Louis has a team of gifted litigators and trial lawyers with more than 70 years of combined experience practicing law and protecting the vulnerable and injured. We will fight to get you maximum compensation in any injury claim in Missouri, including the case types listed here. Click for more information.