Crash Data Shows Most Motorcyclists Aren’t to Blame
Everyone who rides in Texas knows the feeling. You’re heading straight, minding your business, keeping an eye out for hazards, and suddenly a driver turns left directly into your path. Somehow, after the wreck, the focus isn’t on how distracted that driver was. Rather, the focus is about what you, the motorcyclist, could have done differently.
Texas drivers and insurance companies love to lean into the stereotype that riders are reckless. But the crash data tells a different story, and many of the worst motorcycle wrecks in the greater Dallas, Texas area, are because the driver failed to see an oncoming motorcycle. The Car Crash Captain digs in to see what exactly is going on.
“I Didn’t See the Motorcycle”
There’s an argument that at-fault motorists love to lean into. They claim they “never saw” the biker. The idea is simple: their goal is to minimize their liability. If the biker was hiding, or zooming in and out of traffic, or perhaps somehow camouflaged themselves, the driver doesn’t maintain as much fault… right?
The fact remains that “I didn’t see him” is a weak excuse. Of course, the driver didn’t see the rider, if they wrecked with a truck or another car it would likely be the exact same excuse, “I didn’t see them.”
The issue isn’t the excuse. The issue is that left-turn collisions remain the most common way bikers die on the road. Bikers go out of their way to remain visible, but the increasingly distracted driver filters out anything that isn’t a car or a truck.
And that has led to some staggering statistics. Some studies show that these crashes account for around 26% of fatal bike wrecks; other studies show that stat as closer to 40%.
Insurance Companies Treat Riders Like the Problem
The issue is compounded when the idea that if you don’t see someone, it’s not your fault, is validated by the insurance company. If you turned left in front of a truck, that you “didn’t see,” that would be careless driving. But if you do that to a motorcycle, it’s just a big oopsie.
The adjusters come into these wrecks assuming the worst. The preconceived notion is that the motorcycle rider was speeding, riding recklessly, or weaving between the lanes. This set the motorcycle accident victim up as the bad guy before any evidence is established.
Part of it is the very nature of riding a motorcycle. Getting on two wheels, without a cage to protect your body, is inherently more dangerous. Often adjusters, juries, and even judges automatically assume that those who ride are risk takers, and likely did something risky that resulted in the accident.
The irony is palpable. Riders take the risk as they put nothing but a layer of leather clothing between themselves and an impact with the pavement. Yet they’re treated as the reckless party before an investigation even starts.
When Drivers Make Mistakes, Riders Pay the Price
That risk wouldn’t really be a risk for the experienced rider if it wasn’t for the negligent motorist. But because there are people out there not paying attention, every time a person hops onto the motorcycle, they know that a “small mistake” by another driver can lead to:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Spinal Cord Damage
- Skin Grafts
- Amputations
- Permanent Disability
- Death
Motorcycle crashes are almost never “minor wrecks” or “fender benders.” They have a serious impact on the rider’s way of life, their ability to earn an income, or even function independently. In a car wreck, people talk about dented bumpers and the inconvenience of repairs. In a motorcycle wreck, families talk about surgeries, rehab, and quite often a remembrance of the amazing person taken from this world far too soon.
Herbert Law Group Pushes Back Against Bias
Unfortunately, these wrecks are going to continue to happen. Until vehicles become much “smarter” we have to rely on motorists who don’t watch where they’re going and ruin other lives along the way.
If you’ve been involved in a bike wreck, or a loved one was killed in a collision with an inattentive motorist, then we should talk. The insurance company doesn’t have your back, but Herbert Law Group does.
Call our offices at 214-414-3808, and let’s have a conversation about what happened so we can discover what needs to happen so you can find justice. No time to call right now? Simply fill out the contact form and we’ll get started on your free case evaluation.