motorcycle accident wrongful death Tag Archives

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: September 30, 2021

Georgia Motorcyclists Form a Significant Percentage of Traffic Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Motorcyclists in Georgia form a small percentage of the total number of registered motor vehicles in the state, but account for a significantly higher number of fatalities every year. This unfortunately should not come as a surprise as a collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle usually results in serious or fatal injuries to the motorcyclist given the lack of outer vehicle protection.

In July, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety released new data for motorcycle accidents across the state. The data is based on traffic accident statistics in Georgia in 2019. The data finds that motorcyclists form just a small percentage of motor vehicle accidents in the state, accounting for just 1 percent of all motor vehicle crashes. However, they form 11 percent of traffic accident deaths and 21 percent of all driver deaths.

According to the data, the North Georgia area, which encompasses the metropolitan Atlanta region, accounts for the majority of all motorcycle crashes in Georgia. The metro Atlanta region specifically accounts for the highest share of all motorcycle accidents in the state.

Published on: February 17, 2019

Left-Turn Motorcycle Accidents are Most Deadly

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The ways in which a motorcyclist can be injured while riding on the streets of Atlanta is numerous. But one accident scenario that carries the most serious risk of leaving a motorcyclist with devastating injuries is when a motorcycle crashes into a car making a left turn.

According to estimates, as many as 40 percent of all motorcycle accidents involve a car making a left turn in front of the motorcycle or at an intersection. Many of these situations involve car drivers who incorrectly gauge the distance between their vehicle and the motorcycle. When this happens, it usually results in the motorcycle crashing into the car, often at high speeds. In other cases, the car driver may be distracted and fail to notice the motorcyclist pulling up alongside them.

Often, these accidents occur at intersections when the motorcycle is riding straight and a car driver suddenly makes a left turn in front of him. There are many dangerous intersections located throughout the metro Atlanta area, thereby setting the scene for these types of accidents for countless motorcycle riders. The impact of an accident like this can be devastating, and the motorcyclist may be at risk of sustaining injuries that include brain injuries, spinal injuries, fractures, major or severe cuts and lacerations, facial injuries and other serious injuries. Such injuries can still occur even if the motorcyclist is wearing all the required and recommended protective gear. Some of these injuries can leave a motorcyclist with possibly long-term damage, reducing his ability to lead a normal, productive life.

Published on: June 30, 2018

Auto Technology Would Help Reduce Motorcycle Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Vehicle safety technology and crash prevention systems not only save motorist lives, but they also help prevent fatal motorcycle accidents. As the roads in Atlanta get more and more crowded, the number of motorcycles to passenger vehicles will also continue to rise which will only increase the risk of serious accidents and injuries if both motorists are not fully alert and paying attention to their surroundings.

According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 8,000 motorcycle accidents every year could be prevented if more passenger vehicles came equipped with lane maintenance systems, front collision prevention systems, and other devices that are designed to identify motorcycles in their path.

Many of these crash avoidance systems are currently available on several models of cars, SUVs and pickups. There are different types of these systems available, but they generally work using devices like cameras and sensors to look out for motorcycles in the environment, and to intervene if the driver fails to take action to prevent an accident.

Published on: October 14, 2013

Motorcyclist Killed in Accident in Cherokee County

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A fatal motorcycle accident has been reported recently in Georgia. This time, it was a 61-year-old man from Woodstock who was traveling on his motorcycle when he crashed into a Toyota Tundra. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the man’s family and friends.

According to reports of the accident, the man was heading eastbound on Cumming Highway when the Tundra pulled out onto the roadway. Consequently, the motorcycle hit the left side of the vehicle.The motorcycle driver was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead.

There was also a 55-year-old female passenger on a bike, who was thrown several feet away upon impact. She was also rushed to the hospital, and is being treated for injuries.

Published on: September 14, 2011

Atlanta Man Killed in Motorcycle Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An Atlanta motorcyclist was killed last month in an accident that occurred when a motorist turned into his path.According to the Georgia State Patrol, the motorist was driving under the influence of alcohol. The accident occurred in Paulding County.The man was riding on his motorcycle when the intoxicated driver turned into the path of the motorcycle.The man was thrown off his motorcycle, and sustained fatal injuries.The motorist has been arrested, and faces charges of driving under the influence, vehicular homicide in the first degree and failure to heed. Of course, he will also likely face a civil suit for wrongful death.

Even as the numbers of people killed in auto accidents in the United States have declined over the past few years, the numbers of people being killed in motorcycle accidents has remained more or less steady.In 2010, federal auto safety agencies recorded the first drop in motorcycle accident fatalities in more than eleven years.The decline was slight, but was encouraging to Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers who have been very concerned about the fact that motorcycle fatalities have remained high over the past decade.However, the decline in fatalities was too low to mean any major change in the attitude towards motorcycle safety in the country.

In 1981, the groundbreaking Hurt Report was published, and outlined the major factors involved in motorcycle accidents in the United States.The study had been sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The Hurt Report was published during a time of high accident fatality numbers involving motorcyclists. One of the findings of the Hurt Report was that most motorcycle accidents are caused by motorists who fail to yield right-of-way to a motorcyclist.

Published on: August 30, 2011

Cobb County Police Looking for Motorcyclist in Fatal Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Police in Cobb County are on the lookout for the driver of a Porsche involved in afatal motorcycle accident fatal motorcycle accident. The motorcyclist was riding a Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle when he was struck by two vehicles on Interstate 75.According to police, a Porsche struck the motorcyclist, and then fled the scene of the auto accident.The motorcycle was then struck again by a Mazda that was following behind.

The victim, a thirty-one-year-old man from Norcross sustained serious injuries, and died. The driver of the Mazda has confirmed to police that the Porsche struck the motorcyclist before her car did.Police are now looking for a silver Porsche that is likely to have moderate damage. Unfortunately, as any personal injury attorney will tell you, some of the most devastating accidents occur with hit and run drivers. These drivers are often uninsured, drinking or on drugs.

A motorcycle accident can be a traumatic experience.These are some of the most serious accidents, and can end in fatalities, or serious injuries to motorcycle riders and passengers.Apart from a helmet, a motorcyclist has little protection against injuries.

Published on: June 10, 2011

Motorcycle Accident Causes the Death of a Police Officer

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An off-duty police sergeant in Centreville, Houston County, Georgia was killed in a motorcycle accident last week.According to news reports, the 45-year-old Police Sgt. was riding his motorcycle when he collided with a car at an intersection.He was seriously injured, and died of his injuries. As an Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer, I see the dangers motorcycle riders face every day. Unfortunately, too many drivers just fail to keep a close eye out for motorcycles.

Motorcyclists in Georgia are at a greater risk of collisions with motorists this summer, when more numbers of drivers and motorcyclists can be expected to share the road.Not only are motorcyclists dealing with a large population of adult drivers on their way to holidays distracted by their families and their holiday plans, but they are also sharing the highways with larger numbers of teen drivers.

Summer is when the total number of teenage drivers on the road is higher, and the months of June, July and August see 40% more driving by those teen motorists.These are inexperienced drivers, who may fail to practice basic motorcycle safety behaviors, like looking out for motorcyclists at intersections.This accident illustrates how necessary it is for motorists to be extra cautious when approaching an intersection, and look out for motorcycles.Many young and teen drivers tend to think of summer as a long, extended weekend, and fail to prioritize traffic safety rules.

Published on: November 24, 2010

Motorcyclist Killed in Cobb County Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Cobb County police are on the lookout for a pickup truck driver whom they believe was responsible for a fatal motorcycle accident this week. According to police, the 60-year-old victim was riding his motorcycle, when he was cut off by the driver of a Ford F-150 truck. In order to avoid the accident, the victim was forced to go over the curb and across the sidewalk. The motorcycle struck a pillar on the sidewalk, and the victim sustained serious injuries. He was taken to the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries later.

Cobb County Police are on the lookout for the driver of the pickup truck. They say it is either a gray or black colored truck.

Unfortunately, most motorcycle crashes that Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers come across seem to follow similar patterns. These accidents are caused not because motorcycles were speeding or driving rashly, but because the motorcyclists were not yielded to or were cutoff.

Published on: April 14, 2010

Motorcyclist Killed in Atlanta Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A motorcyclist was killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident in Atlanta over the weekend. The victim was riding his motorcycle, and ran out of gas. He was stopped at the side of Interstate 20 West, when he was struck by a car. He died instantly from his injuries..The motorist continued driving after he struck the motorcyclist. Fortunately, an off-duty Georgia State Trooper was just behind the car, and noticed the accident. He chased the car, and was able to apprehend the motorist.

Last year, there were more than 5,000 people killed in motorcycle accidents across the country. That was a record since motorcycle crash data gathering began more than three decades ago. It’s also a reminder to Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers that we’re still far from even understanding what is causing this spike in fatalities, let alone developing measures to prevent these.

A new motorcycle crash causation study however, provides a glimmer of hope. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is partnering with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to conduct a study that would provide a fresh look into the causes of these accidents.The study is expected to begin in 2012. It is expected to be the first naturalistic study of motorcycle crash causes. It will also be one of the first major studies into motorcycle crash causes in decades.