Motorcycle Accidents

Published on: July 12, 2024

Motorcycle Accident Deaths Reached Record Numbers in 2022

The number of people being killed in motorcycle accidents reached record numbers in 2022 with more than 6,000 lives lost that year.

With so much of the focus on people being killed in pedestrian accidents or car accidents, it is easy to miss the fact that motorcyclists are losing their lives in large numbers in accidents too. In fact, in 2022, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 6,222 motorcyclists were killed in accidents. This is the highest number of motorcycle accident deaths on record. It is also a 23% increase on the number of deaths recorded in 2019.

Motorcycle wrongful deaths accounted for 15% of all traffic accident deaths recorded in 2019. The numbers recorded were also three times higher than the numbers in 1997. About 63% of all motorcycle accident fatalities occurred in accidents involving other vehicles, while 37% involved only the motorcycle.

Published on: June 5, 2024

Focus on Bicycle Accident Prevention This May

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The month of May is being commemorated as National Bicycle Safety Month, an ideal time just before the year’s peak cycling season kicks off to remind bicyclists and motorists about the bicycle accident risks facing these vulnerable users.

In 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 1105 fatalities involving bicycle accidents. More than 45,000 bicyclists were injured in these accidents. In the last ten years alone, there has been a 37 percent increase in the number of bicyclist deaths in auto accidents recorded across the country.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there are 80 million bicycles in the United States. Bicyclists compete for space with motorists, creating conditions that are often most dangerous to the person riding the bicycle. Many of these accidents are preventable, and require an understanding of cyclist rights as well as the key motorist mistakes that may cost a bicyclist his safety or even his or her life.

Published on: May 6, 2024

Daylight Time Change May Impact Pedestrian Accident Rates

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As daylight savings time changes go into effect and clocks are brought one hour forward, a new study finds that there may be some benefits to pedestrians and bicyclists as accidents involving these road users are reduced after the change. The same benefits, however, do not extend to motorists.

The effect of daylight savings time change has been analyzed by traffic safety experts several times in the past. In this most recent study, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety researchers analyzed traffic accident data from between 2010 and 2019. They further divided these accidents based on the hours around the time change – between 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. – and further divided these accidents based on whether these involved motorists or pedestrians and bicyclists.

The data found that the overall net effect of the time change was minimal, regardless of whether the accident involved pedestrians and bicyclists or occupants of a passenger vehicle. However, about 5 weeks after the fall time change went into effect, they found that there was an increase in the number of car accidents involving bicyclists and a drop in the number of auto accidents involving motorists. Conversely, when they analyzed the data from about 5 weeks after the spring time change went into effect, they found an increase in the number of auto accidents involving motorists and a drop in the number of accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists.

Published on: April 19, 2024

Memory Problems After Brain Injury Linked to Processing Deficit

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a brain injury may find it difficult to recall memories or make new memories. This could possibly be a result of processing deficits as a result of a personal injury. Car accidents, slip and fall accidents and similar traumatic events may result in brain injuries which lead to a processing deficit.

A brain injury can result in a number of cognitive and intellectual impairments. The person may suffer from concentration problems, cognitive deficits and a lowered ability to understand and grasp basic concepts and ideas. One of the more troubling parts of life after a brain injury is limited memory function. The person may struggle to recall events, and even short term memory may be affected. According to new research, a brain injury can result in slowing down of processing times or a processing deficit which can, in turn, lead to memory dysfunction. The findings of the study are important when you consider the fact that as many as 50% of patients who have suffered a brain injury do suffer from some kind of memory dysfunction.

The researchers believe that rehabilitation after a brain injury can help with memory function to some extent. They believe that therapy, especially occupational therapy techniques used during rehabilitation must include techniques to speed up processing speed.

Published on: April 12, 2024

Spinal Injury Linked to Greater Risk of Heart Disease

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a spinal injury in car accidents or motorcycle accidents are at a much higher risk of suffering heart disease down the line.

That information comes from a study conducted in Korea where researchers analyzed data on more than 5,000 patients who had suffered lumbar, cervical or thoracic spinal injury. They were looking at how many of these spinal injury survivors developed heart conditions including myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. They found that persons who had suffered lumbar and cervical spinal injury had a greater risk of myocardial infarctions and heart failure. The rates were slightly higher among those persons who had suffered severe disability as a result of their spinal injury.

The researchers believe that one of the reasons for this is the fact that spinal injury survivors have very limited mobility and ability to exercise. This causes the heart muscles to become weak due to the lack of exercise. The researchers also believe that it is important for doctors treating a person with spinal injury to factor in the increased risk of cardiac disease, including myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. It is important for spinal cord injury survivors and their families and caretakers to understand the higher risk of these specific heart conditions as a result of the injury. More education and awareness is needed, and greater efforts must be put into patient counselling.

Published on: March 25, 2024

Brain Injury After a Car Accident Could Increase Risk of Cancer

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a brain injury in an auto accident may be at a higher risk of developing brain cancer later in life. This the shocking finding of a new study which could have a significant impact on personal injury claims.

A new study that was conducted on military vets finds that a brain injury significantly increases the risk of brain cancer. The study focused on more than 1.9 million vets, and the results are disturbing. Brain cancer is a relatively rare cancer, and only one percent of the general population has the risk of suffering from this disease. However, among veterans who have suffered a brain injury, the risk of developing malignant cancer is as much as 90% higher than in the general population. Additionally, in those cases in which the injury has resulted in penetration of the skull, victims were found to have a three times higher risk of suffering brain cancer.

The researchers take pains to point out that while the study has been conducted on veterans, and that while the exact same results may not be seen in the civilian population, more severe or penetrative brain injury is likely to lead to a higher risk of brain cancer among civilians as well.

Published on: February 8, 2024

Studies Call for Improved Auto Accident Protection Systems for Trucks and Motorcycles

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Auto accident prevention technologies like forward collision warning systems do a very good job of reducing the risk of auto accidents involving passenger vehicles, but may not be as effective in preventing motorcycle accidents and trucking accidents.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released the findings of two new studies which found that forward collision warning systems and automatic emergency braking systems are very beneficial in reducing the risk of car accidents involving passenger vehicles, but not as effective in preventing accidents involving motorcycles and trucks. The studies focused on more than 160,000 auto accidents involving passenger vehicles, large trucks and motorcycles.

According to the studies, these systems can help reduce the risk of rear-ender auto accidents involving passenger vehicles by as much as 53%. However, they were found to reduce the risk of accidents involving large commercial trucks by only 38% and motorcycle accidents by 41%. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, as many as 5,500 lives could be saved every year if auto accident prevention systems were enhanced to make them more effective in identifying and reducing the risk of colliding with large tractor trailers. An additional 500 lives could be saved in motorcycle accidents if these technologies could be improved to help identify motorcycles that are notoriously harder to identify for motorists.

Published on: January 23, 2024

Brain Implant Helps Car Accident Victims Recover Cognitive Abilities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

One of the most devastating consequences of a brain injury after a car accident is the effect on a person’s cognitive abilities. A new study finds that a brain stimulator device can help a person recover these critical abilities after a personal injury.

The findings of the study were published in a recent issue of the Nature Medicine journal. The researchers implanted the stimulators in the brains of persons who had suffered brain injuries as a result of trauma. The implants were left on for about 12 hours a day and the participants spent 3 months with the implants.

The research by scientists at Stanford University found that the implantation of the deep brain stimulator helped trigger electric activity in brain neurons that had been left damaged after trauma. While the researchers were hoping for a 10% increase in mental processing as a result of the implantation of the device, they were surprised to find that the improvement was as high as 32% in the patients. What is even more promising is that the device can help with impairments that have occurred as a result of old brain injuries. According to the scientists, the device offers great hope to persons who have suffered injuries that have left them with memory loss and poor thinking skills.

Published on: January 1, 2024

Experts Call for ABS on All Motorcycles to Prevent Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Calls for the United States to mandate automatic braking systems on all motorcycles in order to prevent accidents are growing louder. This country remains one of the very few developed nations that do not require this technology on all motorcycles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is petitioning the federal government to mandate automated braking systems on all motorcycles in order to prevent accidents. This is the second time that the organization petitioned the federal government on this matter. The first time was more than a decade ago, and since then, according to the organization, more than 27 nations, including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Brazil, India and several members of the European Union, have mandated these technologies on all motorcycles.

Automatic braking technologies can help riders maintain control over the motorcycle even when they suddenly brake or brake on wet or slippery surfaces. They prevent the kind of motorcycle crashes that are often caused as a result of skidding. These are the kind of accidents that often result in the rider falling off the motorcycle with possibly devastating consequences. The lack of ABS on a motorcycle is a significant factor in a large percentage of motorcycle accidents every year.

Published on: October 16, 2023

Brain Injuries May Impact Cardiac Health

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

We know a lot about the impact of brain injuries on certain areas of a person’s life, including his mental health and cognitive functioning. A new study finds that a traumatic brain injury – like the kind that results after a motorcycle accident – could also significantly impact a person’s cardiac health, leaving him exposed to the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

According to researchers, there are a number of risk factors after a brain injury that may increase the person’s risk of suffering heart conditions after this type of personal injury. These factors include neuroinflammation, problems with the nervous system and other post -injury symptoms that could significantly impact cardiovascular functioning. This could place the person at risk of suffering conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

In fact, the researchers believe that cardiovascular and endocrine disruption may impact a person’s quality of life and affect his survival rates for decades after the injury. They also believe that there has not been enough research into the long – term cardiovascular effects after a brain injury, with the result that we are likely underestimating the impact of these effects on survival rates.