If you have been involved in a bike collision, contact our experienced Buena Park motorcycle accident lawyers at Bisnar Chase for a free consultation. Our legal team will assess your case details and provide an overview of how we can help you.
We know that motorcycle crashes can be devastating, leaving victims with significant injuries and mounting medical expenses. Let us help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
For over 45 years, the law offices of Bisnar Chase have been fighting for the rights of accident victims. Over that time, we have recovered more than $750 million for our clients. Our personal injury law firm also operates on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not have to pay a single penny if we do not win your case.
Contact our offices based in Orange County at 949-203-3814 for a free review of your case with one of our expert legal team members.
Buena Park Motorcycle Accident Resources
Buena Park Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycles have many advantages over cars, including gas conservation and the sheer thrill and exhilaration they provide. They do not, however, provide any protection for their riders. No seatbelts, airbags, or steel frames surround the rider or passenger.
Riders who remain in their vehicle during a collision may suffer blunt trauma from the impact or being catapulted out of their seat. Riders who are ejected from their motorcycle often suffer catastrophic head and back injuries.
One case, in particular, involved a couple that died in a late-night motorcycle accident in Buena Park. The riders were ejected from the bike, struck a pole, and died. The driver, an Army Ranger, was due to be redeployed that morning, but instead, his parents were left to bury him. His female passenger died during surgery.
Another incident involved a motorcyclist dying after slamming into a car in Buena Park. The cause of the accident involved a car making a left-hand turn and the bike colliding with the vehicle. Officers say that speed was also a factor in the fatal crash. Witnesses at the scene alluded that the biker was going so fast it looked as if the motorcycle exploded on impact.
7 Common Causes of Motorcycle Collisions
Bike crashes can be prevented most of the time. There are laws and regulations that drivers and riders must observe so they can both ride safely on the road. If motorists and bikers do not abide by the rules of the road, an accident can quickly occur. It’s more likely that the motorcyclist will suffer severe injuries than the driver of a car due to the lack of protection they have. Unfortunately, fatal motorcycle accidents are far too common.
Common causes that contribute to motorcycle fatalities and injuries include:
- Speeding: Motorcycles are not built with seatbelts, nor do they offer much protection to riders. Cyclists should abide by the speed limits on a highway and traffic lights. If not, riders are more likely to experience a head-on collision or be catapulted off their bike.
- Left-hand turns: Reports indicate that left-hand turns contributed to over 36% of fatal bike collisions. Left-hand turn accidents occur when a driver does not see a motorcyclist riding toward them when making the left-hand turn. In left-hand turn crashes, motorcycle riders have an increased chance of losing their life due to the lack of protection of the bike.
- Car doors opening suddenly: Oftentimes, when a car parallel parks in a busy street, the drivers will need to proceed with caution when exiting the vehicle for their own safety and the safety of oncoming motorcyclists. If not, they can open the car door and create a hazard for an oncoming biker.
- Dangerous road conditions: Governmental entities are responsible for maintaining the road conditions so they can be safe to ride on. Factors that can put cyclists at risk include deteriorating roads, traffic signs concealed by shrubbery, objects in the street, or uneven gravel.
- Defective motorcycle parts: When a rider purchases a bike, they trust that all of the parts of the motorcycle are functioning well. Every so often, though, this does not seem to be the case, and the results can be catastrophic. Make sure that all parts of your bike such as the brakes, engine, and tires, are safe to ride on.
- Riding under the influence: Drivers or cyclists who consume alcohol or marijuana and then proceed to operate a vehicle are increasing their chances of being injured or dying in an accident. California law prohibits the use or consumption of drugs while operating any type of vehicle.
- Splitting between lanes: It is common for motorcyclists to zoom through traffic by splitting lanes or going between cars at full speed. Even though lane splitting is legal in California, it is only legal if the cyclists proceed to do so safely. Riders who split lanes can be involved in an accident due to being so close to cars.
California MotorBike Laws
Motorcycle laws differ from four-door vehicle laws due to their inability to provide ample protection for the rider. You must also obtain specific requirements before being permitted to ride a bike. Some requirements include passing a screen test and taking a motorcycle safety course. This ensures that a cyclist knows how to operate a bike before riding safely.
One of the many laws enforced amongst bikers is California Vehicle Code (CVC) 27803 which states, “It is unlawful to operate a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle if the driver or any passenger is not wearing a safety helmet as required by subdivision.” If you do not wear a motorcycle helmet, you can be ticketed or suffer from a severe traumatic brain injury.
Typical Types of Injuries Suffered in Motorbike Accidents
Although riders are required to wear a helmet while riding and also other protective gear, even if they do, there is still a high risk of cyclists suffering from severe injuries. Victims of motorcycle accidents may suffer from minor injuries such as small lacerations or lose a limb in the accident.
Other common injuries can include:
- Head Injuries: Even when the rider is following California law by wearing a helmet, there is the potential for a head injury. Anyone who strikes his or her head during a collision should seek immediate medical attention. Even if they do not lose consciousness, they may have suffered a concussion that can get worse over time if not correctly diagnosed and treated. Motorcycle riders also may experience severe headaches, memory issues, nausea, dizziness, or even more serious conditions, including a loss of physical and mental abilities that could result in permanent disabilities.
- Back Injuries: Many motorcycle accidents involve a sudden jerking or twisting motion. In such cases, the vertebrae may sustain trauma. A blunt impact on a person’s back or a crushing impact may also result in back injuries. Whenever the vertebrae undergo severe trauma, there is the potential for spinal cord damage, they may include the loss of feeling or physical ability below the location of the trauma.
- Broken Bones: The initial impact of a collision may result in crushing broken bone injuries to riders. Multiple bone fractures often require surgical procedures and prolonged periods of time away from work. Victims who suffer broken bones also often need several physical therapy sessions to regain mobility and range of motion.
- Lacerations: It is typical for broken glass, metal, and loose gravel to cause devastating lacerations that require immediate medical attention. One misconception many people have is that lacerations and abrasions are the same. A laceration is considered a cut where an object such as glass has torn the skin. An abrasion is more common amongst motorcyclists. Abrasions happen when the epidermis has been scraped very hard to the point where the skin is rubbed off.
- Road Rash: Road rash is known amongst bikers as a burn or abrasion caused by a part of the body scraping against the gravel. This type of injury, if gone untreated, can immediately become infected. If the abrasion is minor, treatment such as topical creams and stitches could be used. If a rider has lost layers of skin, skin grafting may be an option for treatment.
Who is At Fault for a Motorcycle Crash?
Liability for a motorcycle accident can fall on several parties. Most of the time the person who is responsible for the bike collision is a car or truck driver that was being careless on the road. Drivers have the duty to keep their passengers and others traveling on the road safe whether they are traveling by car, motorcycle or if they are pedestrian.
There are cases though where a cyclist is being negligent on the road. Some ways a biker can be irresponsible is if they are swerving or running a red light. Motorcyclists are to adhere to the rules of the highway especially since they are not guarded as well as those riding in a four-door motor vehicle.
If a cyclist is to blame they can still file a personal injury claim. The state of California works under a comparative fault system which means that those who had caused the accident can also pursue compensation for the collision. The negligent party may not be guaranteed the full amount of damages though. When you speak to a motorcycle attorney in Buena park they will be able to inform you more about how much compensation you can receive.
The Personal injury attorneys of Bisnar Chase have collected over $750 million for more than 12,000 clients and we may be able to help you too. We’ve represented hundreds of motorcycle accident victims in Orange County and we are familiar with the courts and defendant lawyers.
How Can An Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Motorcycle crash victims need an experienced team to represent their case. There’s a stigma attached to collision victims that we don’t usually see in auto accidents.
People, police included, tend to form a negative opinion of bike riders and often assume they must have caused the accident. Finding a compassionate and talented attorney isn’t always easy, but our team has our client’s needs at the center of our mission statement. We will provide you with a client experience second to none.
The truth is motorcycle riders are constantly at risk.
Our Buena Park motorcycle accident attorneys have the experience and resources to represent you in the best possible way and work to maximize your financial and personal recovery.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Buena Park
The personal injury law firm of Bisnar Chase has been taking on the most challenging motorcycle accident cases and winning for over 45 years. We have gone against major insurance companies and have won millions of dollars in compensation for our clients.
Our lawyers care about your case and treat you like you are our only client. Contact our motorcycle accident attorneys for a free consultation if you have been injured in or around Buena Park.
Call 949-203-3814 and let us fight for you.
