Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer - Motorcycle Accidents

Wear a helmet--save your life

John Demas — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:49:57 GMT

We see a number of different collisions that occur on California Highways including a lot of motorcycle crashes. Unfortunately, the injuries are usually much more severe with bike riders than people in cars. Broken bones and other serious orthopedic injuries are common. Motorcyclists often sustain head injuries but the severity of the head injury is frequently determined by whether the rider was wearing a DOT approved helmet.

The consequences of not wearing a DOT helmet were seen recently in Sacramento when a motorcyclist was killed in a low-speed collision after sustaining a head injury.

Riders--be smart, be safe and wear a DOT approved helmet!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by John Demas

California Traffic Deaths Hit Record Low in 2007

John Demas — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:57:04 GMT

The statistics for motor vehicle accident fatalities in California were recently released and showed a small drop in fatalities. Unfortunately there were still nearly 4000 deaths on California Highways last year.

Although traffic deaths hit a record low in 2007, motorcycle accidents and deaths increased nearly 25%. This is consistent with what we are seeing here in Sacramento County as well surrounding counties. Not only are we representing more families who have lost loved ones in motorcycle accidents, we are also seeing more motorcycle accidents and severe injuries from motorcycle accidents.

This could be attributed to a number of factors including the fact that more people are driving motorcycles because of high gas prices but unfortunately appear to be driving without proper training. If you are under 21, you must complete mandatory training to obtain your drivers license. If you are over 21, there is no mandatory training. However we urge everyone who is considering purchasing a motorcycle to obtain the proper training --even if you think you know how to ride. There are number of training facilities in the Sacramento area.

A nice website put out by the California DMV regarding motorcycle safety and training includes a section to find a rider course near you.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by John Demas

Accident on U.S. 50! Wow, what a week...

Amber Wheat — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:59:12 GMT

Friday afternoon, on my way home from work, I witnessed a car vs. motorcycle collision. It happened right in front of me. I am so thankful that I didn’t freak out or hit anybody. At first I was shocked. The motorcyclist spun out. He separated from his bike really quickly, then his bike skidded across three lanes of traffic while the rider rolled and rolled on the ground. For a moment I thought I may have actually witnessed someone dying right in front of me.

I was so scared. All four lanes on the freeway were stopped. Two people got out of their cars and helped the motorcyclist get himself and his bike out of the road. He was very lucky. He only broke his arm. The people in the car made their way over to the shoulder and I made my way over as well. Many times in collisions it is one driver’s word against the other driver’s. If you ever witness an accident and know you saw something important for the CHP or the police to know, please stop. An uninterested third party can help them paint an accurate portrait of what happened.

I am kind of proud of myself. After the CHP officer escorted me to my car, I got back on the freeway and even though I wanted to freak out a couple of times, I took some deep breaths and made myself calm down. Once I got home I told my mother what had happened and by that time it was less shocking and I didn’t even need to freak out. My mom was happy too, it calmed her fears that I wouldn’t be able to handle situations like that.

I stopped and gave a statement to the CHP because I knew it would be hard for them to write the report without it. Motorcyclist are much smaller than vehicles and often go unnoticed. I am absolutely sure the car that hit him did not know where he was. I also saw things just before the collision, so I could set up the scene. When something happens behind you, in your blind spot, there is nothing you can really tell the officers other than “I didn’t see anything.” You really have to rely on good citizens who saw what happened behind you to come forward and tell what they know.

Witnesses are important. Have you ever witnessed an accident? Did you stop? How did you react?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Amber Wheat

Motorists more likely to be at fault in motorcycle accidents

Ed Smith — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:44:36 GMT

A recent study by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety revealed that in two vehicle collisions involving motorcycles, the motorist was more likely to be at fault. Failure to yield was the greatest cause of motorcycle- car
accidents.

90% of all fatalities were men and 64% were over the age of 35. A motorcyclist's greatest safety device is a clear mind. "You've got to be a defensive driver and almost predict what's going to happen, like a sixth sense"....

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith

Motorcycle crash, Carmichael man dies

Ed Smith — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 15:39:21 GMT

A 19 year old ran a stop sign Wednesday, October 11th, and his motorcycle broadsided a van. The accident happened at the intersection of at Vernon Street and Dawnridge Road, in Roseville.

A really good site that talks about motorcycle safety is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith