Michigan Bicycle Accident Attorney

Sport bikes

Sport bikes tend to come in three main forms: lightweight, middleweight, and superbikes. Lightweight bikes are typically for beginners, with engines only up to 500 cc. Middleweight bikes, sometimes used for racing, have an engine displacement between 600 and 750 cc. With an average engine displacement of 1,000 cc, superbikes are most commonly used for racing purposes. Though these bikes are typically ridden at more dangerous speeds, rider negligence is not always the cause of bike accidents. The primary cause of sport bike and motorcycle accidents is actually the inattention of the drivers of surrounding cars. Though these bikes are typically ridden at more dangerous speeds, rider negligence is not always the cause of bike accidents. The primary cause of sport bike and motorcycle accidents is actually the inattention of the drivers of surrounding cars, usually in the form of drivers not seeing them and then failing to yield to their right of way. Sport bikes are also at great risk of rear-end accidents by tailgating drivers because of their small taillights and need for greater stopping distances.

Because they are built for speed, sport bikes are lighter than both automobiles and motorcycles. This key factor makes sport bikes more prone to sustain severe damages in an accident. These bikes also lack the protection cars offer to their drivers, with sport bike riders much more easily being thrown from their vehicles, dragged by their or other vehicles, and absorbing the full impact of a collision. Safety helmets and protective gear may seem like sufficient safety precautions, however, they still cannot fully protect their wearers from serious injury in an accident. Riders who are unfortunate enough to experience a sport bike accident may suffer injuries leading to hospitalization, disability, disfigurement, and death. A problem riders tend to encounter after accidents is discrimination from insurance companies and in court. Prejudice against these riders who buy bikes built specifically for high speed and performance on the race track tends to have them viewed as at-fault even if they are not in the wrong. If you experience an accident, an attorney skilled in these cases may assist you in your claim by investigating the incident. This will allow them to both prove that the other driver(s) is at fault and also help you to receive the greatest recovery possible for your damages.

Several facets of vehicle operation can be the cause of sport bike accidents; rear-end or left-turn collisions, u-turn accidents, obstructions on roadways, hazardous road conditions, defective motorcycle parts, drunk driving, and “I didn’t see the bike” instances can all be at-fault. Once your accident attorney establishes what the precise cause of your incident was, you may then figure out who the responsible party is that you can make a claim against- another driver, the manufacturer of a flawed bike part, or a property owner/the local government for not maintaining safe roadways.

Among all types of motorcycles, sport bikes have the highest death rates, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. Drivers of these bikes are killed four times as often as those who drive standard models. As for deaths among all motorcycles, the number has more than doubled from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,810 in 2006, and now accounts for 11% of all traffic fatalities, as articulated by the United States Transportation Department. In 2005, sport bikes comprised less than 10 percent of registered motorcycles in 2005 but also accounted for over 25 percent of rider deaths.

According to a website devoted to the promotion of sport bike safety, there are seven tips precautionary that should be taken: “be aware of the vehicles and pedestrians around you,” “use effective mental strategies,” “know your bike and how to handle it under a wide range of conditions,” “use protective riding gear,” “make sure your bike is visible,” “learn how to safely pick up your sports bike,” and “know how to choose the right sports bike.” This website believes these tips, as well as SEE(SM), will help to reduce sport bike accidents. SEE(SM) is a strategy the Motorcycle Safety Foundation believes every motorcycle rider should be familiar with.

SEE(SM) is an acronym for search, evaluate, and exe cute. In other words, keep your eye on the road ahead of you while still knowing what is happening around you- from other motorists to weather conditions. The Foundation strongly asserts that practicing SEE(SM) allows cyclists time to increase their safety margins, slow down, and possibly even avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

+Akiva Goldman