Nearly All Fatal Motorcycle Wrecks have One Thing in Common

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous.  But it’s a danger that many accept because being on two wheels offers a bit more freedom than being enclosed in a box.  You can, however, mitigate that danger by using the proper safety gear.  In fact, better safety gear means you reduce your risk of being involved in one of the many fatal motorcycle wrecks that occur every year.

Let’s check in with the Car Crash Captain, to see what many of these wrecks have in common, and how you can survive a potentially lethal wreck.

Safety Gear While Riding Your Motorcycle

There is a lot of gear that you can wear while riding.  From armored clothing, to helmets, to gloves; this gear is specifically designed to help keep you safe while riding.

But that gear only does so much good if you’re wearing it.

Having the proper safety equipment, and using it, is the best way to ensure that you won’t end up a statistic on the NHTSA website.

Lack of Helmet Use Accounts for 41% of Fatal Motorcycle Wrecks

Our bodies aren’t nearly as resilient as the movies like to imply.  We can take quite a bit, but when it comes down to it, we’re really just fragile skeletons wrapped in muscle.  Our command center is right up at the top; we have to protect that brain to ensure that we can continue to function.

Scott Pohl died in a motorcycle crash a little over a decade ago.  He had only recently started riding, and the mandatory law requiring helmets in Michigan was just lifted.  A risk-taker he loved the thrill found with the dangers of riding helmet-less; a motorist in an SUV didn’t see him, and that risk caught up to him.

In September, 2022, a wreck in South Carolina claimed the life of a passenger.  Two motorcycles were involved in a collision with each other.  While all involved suffered injuries, the passenger on one of the bikes died at the hospital; she was not wearing a helmet.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though.  Here’s a wild tale of how a helmet saved a life.  Summer of 2021, in Brazil, a biker was attempting to avoid a bus that turned in front of him.  Laying the bike down, he slid under the bus and his head went beneath the rear wheels.  The bus driver reacted quickly, slamming on the brakes.  While the man was dragged for a bit, he was able to walk away from this potentially fatal wreck.  There’s a short video in the news article.  Warning: it’s intense but not graphic.

The bottom line is that when you risk it, and you don’t wear a helmet, the odds of dying in a crash go up considerably.

If Your Loved One Died in a Fatal Motorcycle Wreck

Fatal motorcycle wrecks are hard to process.  Things are even harder when your trauma, as the survivor, is all interior.  The insurance companies won’t recognize your pain and suffering, and their settlement offer will likely be little more than replacing the motorcycle and covering funeral expenses.

That’s where an expert motorcycle wreck attorney helps you.  We have the experience to understand what you’re going through, what your loss actually entails, and how to pursue justice for you and your loved one that was killed.

Let’s get started with a phone call to see if we are a good fit.  Call 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll be in touch.