Failure to Yield Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents put riders and their passengers at significant risk of injuries. There is no protection from the environment if they collide with other vehicles or the bike turns over. In many cases, motorcycle accidents are caused by a failure to yield. If you are involved in a motorcycle accident, there are both physical and legal implications to consider.
Let’s discuss how failure to yield motorcycle accidents occur, what they can lead to, and how victims can pursue claims to recover compensation for damages.
Common Scenarios of Failure-to-Yield Motorcycle Crashes
A failure to yield usually means that a driver is either ignorant of traffic laws or deliberately chooses to disobey them. If they are supposed to yield to another vehicle when merging lanes or making a turn, failure to do so can cause an accident involving a motorcycle. Here are a few common causes of failure to yield motorcycle accidents.
Left-Turn Accidents
Left turns usually involve crossing other lanes of traffic and are responsible for so many motorcycle collisions every year. A driver’s failure to yield to oncoming motorcyclists when turning left could cause a terrible accident. Most drivers make this mistake because of distractions or visibility issues. In rare cases, it could be the result of aggressive driver behaviors. Turning into oncoming traffic can pose significant risks to motorcyclists if drivers are not careful.
Intersections
Intersections involve multiple lanes converging at the same spot. Whether these intersections feature stoplights or stop signs, the potential for motorcycle accidents involving a failure to yield is relatively high. Other vehicle drivers may decide to run a red light or stop sign, colliding with an oncoming motorcyclist.
If the driver fails to check the intersection before proceeding through it, they could miss the presence of a motorcycle. Lane splitting, where a motorcycle rides between slow-moving or stopped traffic lanes, can also be risky. Drivers may not anticipate motorcycles passing between lanes, leading to potential collisions. A rider error can also cause accidents with other road users at an intersection.
Merging and Lane Changes
A failure-to-yield accident often occurs when merging lanes or changing lanes. Other drivers may not yield to motorcyclists already in the lane they are switching to. Perhaps the driver fails to check their blind spots or inaccurately judges the speed of a motorcycle in another lane. These circumstances can cause dangerous motorcycle crashes.
Parking Lots and Driveways
Pulling out of a driveway or parking lot also creates opportunities for motorcycle accidents. The at-fault driver may not have checked adequately for motorcycles before entering the roadway.
Right-of-Way Violations at Stop Signs and Yield Signs
Many motorcycle riders get hurt because of a driver’s failure to follow right-of-way regulations at stop signs or yield signs. If the driver chooses to enter the roadway or intersection before they should, a collision can quickly ensue and cause severe injuries to the motorcyclist.
Causes of Failure-to-Yield Accidents
A motorcycle accident can occur for various reasons. Motorcycle riders must use more caution when on the roads to prevent these conditions from leading to accidents.
Driver Negligence
Driver negligence is one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents nationwide. Driver distraction is common, especially with cell phones, GPS devices, and eating while driving. Impaired driving is another concern, as those who have drugs or alcohol in their systems are less likely to be attentive and react quickly.
Driver fatigue can cause a motorcycle accident if someone has worked long hours or not gotten enough sleep. Finally, reckless driving can cause motorcycle crashes when drivers operate at excessive speeds, tailgate, or make fast lane changes.
Visibility Issues
Many motorcycle accident cases are caused by visibility problems. Many drivers have a hard time spotting these smaller vehicles, as they stay in blind spots longer and disappear behind obstructions easily. Additionally, poor weather conditions can make it hard for drivers to spot motorcyclists.
Misjudgment of Motorcycle Speed and Distance
A driver’s failure to judge speed and distance could also result in a motorcycle crash. They might think the motorcycle was traveling faster or slower than it was in reality, leading to a dangerous situation.
Failure to Understand Right-of-Way Rules
Ignorance of traffic laws can also result in a motorcycle accident. Inexperience or a lack of familiarity with an area could cause drivers to misunderstand the right-of-way in a specific location, leading to a failure to yield motorcycle accident.
Injuries Sustained in Failure-to-Yield Motorcycle Accidents
Severe injuries are common in motorcycle crashes. Even if you wear proper safety gear like a helmet and leather clothing, you are still at a greater risk of getting hurt on a motorcycle than in passenger vehicles. Here are some of the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents.
Head Injuries
Even while wearing a helmet, you can experience significant head trauma in a crash. As a result, you may experience a concussion, skull fracture, or even traumatic brain injury. This level of damage could have a massive impact on the rest of your life, so keep a helmet on at all times.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spine is the primary highway for the body’s nervous system and a critical foundation for the skeletal structure. Damage to the spinal cord can have a devastating effect on your lifestyle. Nerve damage and paralysis, in the form of paraplegia or quadriplegia, will cause significant changes in your everyday life and require a lengthy recovery process.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Colliding with other vehicles or road surfaces at high speeds can cause a lot of blunt-force trauma to your body. Often, this leads to multiple broken bones and fractures. Your arms, ribs, legs, shoulders, and hands are particularly vulnerable to fractures during a motorcycle crash.
Road Rash and Lacerations
A bike’s reduced stability makes it likely to tip over even in minor collisions, throwing the rider to the ground. Road rash occurs when the skin scrapes against the surface of the road and experiences lacerations or abrasions. If not treated properly, it can be excruciating and lead to severe infections. Leather clothing and proper safety gear can reduce the risk of road rash when riding a motorcycle.
Internal Injuries
You may walk away from your motorcycle accident feeling fine. However, this does not mean you have gotten off injury-free. Symptoms of internal injuries often take days or weeks to manifest. Schedule a check-up to test for internal bleeding or organ damage if you have been involved in a failure-to-yield motorcycle crash.
Fatalities
In the most extreme motorcycle accidents, riders or passengers may die from their injuries. This can happen during head-on collisions, rollover accidents, truck accidents, or crashes that occur at high speeds.
Legal Aspects of Failure-to-Yield Accidents
Every motorcycle accident could have legal implications in the aftermath. If you believe someone else’s negligence caused your crash, you have the right to pursue an injury claim with the help of motorcycle accident lawyers.
Determining Liability
To win compensation for damages from serious injuries, you must be able to prove that the other driver was negligent and caused the collision. To prove the other driver’s failure to yield, you must gather evidence such as police reports, eyewitness statements, and photos of the accident scene.
Seeking Compensation for Damages
The goal of a claim is to seek compensation for legal damages. Damages after a motorcycle accident with commercial or passenger vehicles could include lost income, medical bills, future medical expenses, property damage, emotional distress, physical pain and suffering, or loss of enjoyment of life. When motorcycle accidents happen and people die, surviving family members can pursue additional damages like funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship.
There is another category of damages called punitive damages. These are only awarded in cases where the defendants behaved with gross negligence or malicious intent.
Working with a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
To increase your chances of winning a motorcycle accident case, an experienced attorney can make all the difference. This legal representative will help you prove that aggressive driving or negligence from another party was the reason for your collision. The lawyers will help you collect evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and even represent you in court if needed. The right law firm will protect your rights and maximize your compensation.
Prevention of Failure-to-Yield Accidents
Many failure-to-yield accidents are entirely preventable. Motorcycle accident statistics indicate that a few changes to driver behaviors could save many lives and prevent injuries. Here are a few strategies to prevent most motorcycle accidents from happening in the first place.
Driver Education and Awareness
One key to protecting motorcyclists is educating all vehicle drivers. Everyone must learn to recognize and respect motorcycle riders on the roads. This awareness starts with a better understanding of right-of-way laws and being more attentive toward smaller vehicles. It also means teaching drivers not to treat motorcyclists any differently than other motorists on the road.
Motorcycle Safety Training
Motorcyclists can also reduce the frequency of failure-to-yield collisions through better training practices. Defensive driving techniques help people become more proactive about recognizing dangers and taking steps to avoid them.
Motorcyclists can also protect themselves by enhancing visibility for other drivers. This visibility might mean turning on headlights more often, installing brighter bulbs, and wearing more colorful clothing. Also, ensure your helmet adheres to universal helmet laws to provide the necessary protection for your head.
Advocacy for Improved Road Safety
You can also advocate for better safety standards from a government perspective for all motorcycle owners. What infrastructural changes could be made to reduce blind spot issues for motorcycles? Could vehicle designs be improved to minimize blind spots or increase the effectiveness of blind spot detection technologies?
Should there be more public awareness campaigns to teach new drivers about the realities of motorcycle safety risks? The more awareness we bring to motorcycle safety, the easier it will be to avoid most motorcycle accidents.
Seeking Legal Help After an Accident
If you have been hurt in a failure-to-yield accident, prioritizing your health and financial future is essential. To hold the at-fault driver responsible for their negligence, you can file a personal injury claim to recover damages. However, to level the playing field against the defendant, their insurance carrier, and their attorneys, you will need motorcycle accident lawyers of your own to build a solid case. That is where Mitch Grissim & Associates can step in. Whether you need help negotiating for a fair settlement or collecting enough evidence to establish liability, your personal injury attorney will be a vital resource for your claim.
Our experienced attorneys have served many motorcycle clients who have been hurt in serious accidents. We can help you recover lost wages, high medical costs, property damage, and non-economic damages to support your financial recovery. We offer a free case evaluation so you can make an informed decision about your legal options. Contact Mitch Grissim & Associates today at 615-255-9999 or via our contact form for your free case evaluation.
