What’s The Difference Between Car & Motorcycle Accidents?
Michael Babboni
Motorcycle Accidents
Any kind of accident involving a vehicle is one that involves an a huge degree of physical force, usually focused in one or two specific directions. This means that because of the forces involved, and the relative frailty of the human body when compared to the vehicles and physics of the event, injuries tend to be quite serious.A whole subsection of both medicine and law has arisen to handle the aftermath of a vehicular accident. And while there are many legal specialists that are involved in car accidents, there are also some motorcycle attorneys that further specialize in the complex issues surrounding a mishap with a motorcycle.
Why is there a need for this degree of focus in legal cases and injuries? Are car and motorcycle accidents really that different, and if so, why?
Orders Of Magnitude
The biggest differentiator between typical accidents like a slip and fall in a public space, and a collision between vehicles is speed. A car or motorcycle is traveling much faster than a person walking through an aisle in a department or grocery store, and when a vehicles makes an impact, the combined weight and density of the material that is the vehicle is intensified by the speed at which it was traveling when impact occurred. That force is then transferred to whatever it collided with. This is the reason why in most collisions with pedestrians, vehicles suffer only minor “fender bender” damage, while the unprotected pedestrian that is hit will usually be inflicted with very serious—if not fatal—injuries.
This is where the real differences begin to emerge with car and motorcycle accidents. A car is a very different vehicle from a motorcycle, in that it is an enclosed space that shelters the drivers and passengers from all outside elements, such as wind or rain. However, that actual design of the car is also usually created in mind to protect the people inside the vehicle as much as possible from the extreme forces involved in a high speed collision.
This is why safety features such as seatbelts, air bags and, in some cases, roll-bars and other safety elements are all built into vehicles. Obviously, these safety features cannot guarantee absolute protection, but they significantly increase the odds of a driver or passenger surviving a high speed collision.
Motorcycles, on the other hand, offer very little in the way of protection.
As single or two passenger vehicles, motorcycles are designed for speed, agility and keeping the rider immersed in the environment. The small size of a motorcycle makes it impossible for the vehicle to carry safety features like air bags, while the design itself means that seatbelts wouldn’t be feasible.
This means that in most collisions involving a motorcycle, especially with a motorcycle and another vehicle, the rider is usually going to suffer the full extent of the impact, and may also, depending on the accident, be thrown from the motorcycle like a catapult.
Special Considerations
Because of how serious most motorcycle accidents tend to be, this means that injuries for motorcyclists tend to be much more severe, assuming they aren’t outright fatal. This also means that treatment for those injuries and the financial compensation involved is going to be many degrees higher than a typical car versus car accident.
It is because of the severity of the injuries, and the unique challenges that motorcycle accident victims face that a motorcycle attorney exists as a more specialized branch of personal injury. An experienced motorcycle attorney will already be familiar with the array possible injuries and consequences of such accidents, and will often have access to specialists—either for medical evaluation, or expert testimony—that can hasten the process for informing a jury with all the information they need to deliver a positive verdict on a personal injury suit.
Freedom Comes With Risk
Of course, motorcycles, just like firearms, are not inherently good or bad, it is only up to the person using it to decide what to do with it. In a climate like Florida that generally doesn’t have to worry about snow, it makes perfect sense for people here to enjoy the freedom and pleasure that comes from riding a motorcycle down the states many scenic roads.
But that ability to be more in touch with the environment while riding does increase the risk and potential for crippling injury if a mishap should occur. If you find yourself injured in a motorcycle accident, and you know you are not at fault, you should get in touch with an experienced motorcycle attorney. You may find that in addition assisting you with process of a personal injury lawsuit, you may get better access to more specialized medical diagnosis and treatment from people that more familiar with these types of injuries. Most important of all, however, you’ll get an experienced advocate fighting for you to get the financial compensation and justice that you deserve.