Motorcycle Injury Lawyer
An injured motorcyclist should consult with a motorcycle injuries lawyer Phoenix AZ.
Motorcyclists can do everything right. They can drive properly and follow the law, yet be the victims of driver negligence, and suffer catastrophic injuries.
Motorcyclists can wear bright clothing, with reflective materials and have their headlights on, yet the other driver may say that he never saw the motorcycle prior to a collision.
A motorcyclist may try to search, evaluate and execute, to assess traffic. A motorcyclist may be skilled in crash avoidance. However, danger may lie at intersections, which can be particularly dangerous, when drivers of vehicles make a left turn, in front of an oncoming motorcycle.
NHTSA data indicates that in 45% of the deaths helmets were not worn. Most fatalities occur on weekends. 90% of fatalities are males. Motorcyclists are more likely to be killed in crashes involving more than one vehicle.
NHTSA has made efforts to increase the use of helmets and other protective gear, get more riders to complete novice and experienced rider training courses, and become properly licensed, reduce driving after drinking and NHTSA has made further efforts to increase the awareness of other motorists to motorcyclists on the road.
The issue of requiring motorcycle helmets is controversial in Arizona. Some argue that laws requiring helmets save lives, reduce head injuries, and medical costs. Further, helmet advocates state that helmets do not reduce visibility or impair hearing. They also argue that helmet laws don’t restrict people’s freedom any more than other accepted public safety laws, like prohibitions covering drunk driving or using cell phones while driving.
Helmet laws are a matter of state law. In Arizona an operator or passenger of a motorcycle, all terrain vehicle or motor driven cycle under 18 years old is required to wear a protective helmet. Riders 18 and over are not required to wear a helmet.
However, if an operator or passenger is injured, and not wearing a helmet, in a personal injury case, a jury may consider whether, under certain circumstances, the nonuse of the helmet should reduce the amount of damages that the injured motorcyclist may receive.
The defense has to prove that use of a helmet would have prevented specific injuries, if so the injured person’s damages that are awarded may be reduced by the percentage of fault assessed to the injured motorcyclist.
The consequences of vehicle driver negligence can be catastrophic or fatal to an injured motorcyclist, representation by a motorcycle injuries lawyer Phoenix AZ may be essential to obtaining a full and fair settlement. Economic losses, for medical bills and lost income, and future losses, may be extensive. The adverse effects of the injuries can be life-altering. Arizona law provides an opportunity for motorcyclists to obtain the fair and reasonable compensation that they are entitled to for their losses.
When awarding damages the jury may consider many types of losses, including the nature, extent, and duration of the injury, disfigurement, permanency of injuries, medical bills and lost income, since the collision and for the future, loss of enjoyment of activities, that were enjoyed before the injury. Consultation with an experienced motorcycle injuries lawyer Phoenix AZ should take place.