Motorcycle Accidents

Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Attorney

With its warm, dry climate, natural beauty and long stretches of open road, Arizona is one of the most idyllic states in the country for motorcycle riding. Whether taking a trip down historic Route 66, a pleas-ure cruise along the rim of the Grand Canyon or a spin through the Red Rock Scenic Byway, motorcy-clists in Arizona have access to some unforgettable rides.

A motorcycle accident, however, can make a trip unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. The number of motorcycles registered in Arizona has risen dramatically in recent years, and more bikes on the road have corresponded with a greater number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities.

By and large, bikers are a law abiding and cautious group. But while statistics bear this fact out, even the safest riders are subject to negative stereotypes of reckless, speed-happy motorcyclists.

These stereotypes can make it difficult for bikers injured in crashes that weren’t their fault to recover compensation for accident losses. Bikers’ crash losses, moreover, tend to be significant due to the fact that motorcycles don’t offer nearly the protection that “cages” (or cars) do.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle crash, Resendez Injury Law Group can help. We understand that all too often, other drivers don’t responsibly share the road and end up hurting and even killing bikers, and we want to make sure that you’re adequately compensated for medical bills, lost wages, and more.

To schedule a free consultation with Resendez Injury Law Group, call (602) 824-9444 or send us an online message. Se habla español.

Arizona Motorcycle Accident Statistics

Despite making up only 3 percent of all registered U.S. vehicles and accounting for a mere 0.7 percent of vehicle miles traveled, motorcyclists account for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities and 4 percent of all injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Per mile traveled, a motorcyclist is nearly 30 times more likely than a passenger vehicle occupant to die in a crash and 5 times more likely to be injured.

Figures like these emphasize the dangers inherent to motorcycle transportation. Here are a few more key stats, courtesy of the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT).

• In a recent year there were more than 3,000 Arizona motorcycle crashes resulting in 149 deaths and 2,653 injuries.
• Over a recent 5-year period motorcycle registration in Arizona jumped from 155,722 to 180,338. Over this same period, annual motorcycle crashes and the motorcycle fatality rate also increased.
• About 1 in 20 Arizona motorcycle crashes results in a fatality, while about 8 in 10 result in injury. Roughly 20 percent of these injuries are classified as “incapacitating”—even when the injured person was wearing a helmet.
• Nearly half of motorcycle crashes involve a collision with a motor vehicle in transport.
• The most common type of motorcycle crash is a rear end collision. Rear-end accidents account for roughly 22 percent of motorcycle crashes.

Motorcycle Accident Liability

In half of all motorcycle crashes, someone other than the biker is at fault, statistics indicate. ADOT reports that motorcyclist speed was a factor in only 23 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes. To put that in perspective, speed is annually a factor in about 1/3 of fatal motor vehicle crashes nationwide. Arizona bikers, in other words, are hardly the speed demons they’re sometimes made out to be.

A study out of another year-round motorcycling state—Florida—found that in crashes involving a mo-torcycle and another motor vehicle, the other vehicle was at fault 60 percent of the time.

One concern for bikers is that motorcycles represent a tiny portion of all vehicles, and thus drivers don’t always expect to see two-wheelers. Of particular concern is distracted drivers, who endanger everyone around them, but motorcycles most of all. Distracted driving has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with about ten percent of fatal crashes and seventeen percent of injury crashes caused by a distraction.

There is no such thing as a motorcycle “fender bender.” Only about 15 percent of Arizona motorcycles crashes result in “no injury.” That means just slightly more than 1 out of 6 bikers who are in a crash walk away unscathed. For the other five, the outcome can range from cuts and bruises to broken bones to head and spine injuries to death.

Get Help From an Experienced Arizona Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Resendez Injury Law Group handles personal injury cases exclusively so that we can better serve the needs of injured Arizonans. You’ll always have direct access to lead attorney Rudy Resendez. He and our staff will know you by name and treat you like family.

Resendez Law doesn’t promise million- dollars settlements, although we’ve helped some clients obtain them. For the vast majority of all of the others, we’ve worked very hard to secure excellent results for them. What we can promise is to be open and honest with you about your case and seek the best possible outcome through hard work, competence and personalized service.

Find out why we put the “personal” in personal injury law: call or contact us today for a complimentary case review.

From our Phoenix offices we serve clients in Peoria, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Surprise, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek and all other areas of Arizona including Flagstaff, Yuma and Gila Bend.

Sources:

• Arizona Department of Transportation: Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2013
• National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration:
  • • 2012 Traffic Safety Facts—Motorcycles

  
  

  • Distracted Driving (2011)
• azcentral.com: Arizona road deaths increase
• Sun Sentinel: Car drivers cause most crashes with motorcycles, study finds