Obviously motorcyclists are more vulnerable than drivers of vehicles to sustaining serious or fatal injuries if they are involved in a crash.
Drivers of cars and trucks sometimes fail to see motorcycles, or believe that the motorcycle is farther away, or traveling slower than its actual speed. Drivers of vehicles may be distracted or may fail to pay close enough attention to motorcyclists on the streets and highways and at intersections. Drivers at intersections who make a left turn sometimes do not see oncoming motorcyclists.
Recently I handled two separate cases where motorcyclists proceeded northbound on Tatum at Lincoln Drive in Paradise Valley, and were hit by left hand turning, southbound vehicles. In one case, the motorcyclist was killed, in the second case serious injuries and leg fractures were sustained. The vehicle drivers failed to see the oncoming motorcyclists before they turned left.
There were about 8.5 million motorcycles on the road in 2012. In 2012 almost 5,000 people died in motorcycle crashes, and 93,000 motorcyclists were injured. In 2012, 60 of every 100,000 motorcycles were involved in a fatal crash compared with 14 out of every 100,000 passenger cars.
The consequences of driver negligence can be horrific, and can cause extensive, catastrophic injuries, and huge economic losses. Motorcycle crashes and injuries can result in high medical bills, lost time from work, and future losses including lost income, medical bills and permanent injuries.