Articles Posted in Motorcycle Accidents

Last month, a 23-year-old man was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash on Chapman Highway in Knoxville. According to a spokesperson for the Knoxville Police Department, the Sevierville man and his 24-year-old passenger were headed north on a Honda motorcycle near East Ford Lane when a sport utility vehicle (SUV) made an unexpected U-turn in front of him. Unfortunately, the driver of the motorcycle could not stop before striking the SUV.

Following the traffic wreck, the man was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. His passenger was treated for non-fatal injuries at the same hospital. The 60-year-old SUV driver and her 64-year-old passenger were not injured in the collision. Although Knoxville police reportedly do not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the deadly motorcycle wreck, evidence gathered during the accident investigation will apparently be forwarded to the Knox County district attorney’s office to determine whether criminal charges against the driver of the SUV are merited.

Both the deceased man and his passenger were reportedly wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the fatal crash. According to the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), safety helmets prevent about 37 percent of traffic accident deaths among motorcycle drivers and 41 percent of motorcycle passenger fatalities across the United States each year. The State of Tennessee enacted a universal helmet law in 1967. This means all drivers and passengers in our state are required to wear a safety helmet when traveling on a motorcycle. The CDC estimates that the lives of about 46 out of every 100,000 registered motorcycle riders in Tennessee in 2010 were saved by wearing a helmet. In addition, helmet use saved the state approximately $94 million in economic costs during the same year. Overall, CDC data states Tennessee is sixth in the nation for lives and economic costs saved as a result of motorcycle helmet use.
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As the weather begins to warm and more motorcycle riders head out to enjoy the rumble and freedom of the road, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging other motorists to be especially mindful.

Our Knoxville motorcycle accident attorneys know that most catastrophic injuries sustained by motorcycle riders are the result of other drivers failing to be cautious.

One of the most common statements investigators hear after a motorcycle crash is, “But I didn’t see him.” It’s not that these folks are lying. They probably really didn’t see the motorcyclist – because they weren’t looking.

May is national Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, with drivers of cars, trucks and buses reminded that sharing the road means looking twice.

So far this year, there have been 19 motorcyclists killed in Tennessee, with Maryville and Clarksville having the highest rates.

The Tennessee Department of Safety reports that motorcycle crashes have been increasing annually for more than a decade, despite marked decreases regarding other types of crashes.

In Knox County, the number of motorcycle licenses has increased by an average of 5.4 percent each year since 2004, with more than 20,000 people in the county currently holding a motorcycle license.

Along with that, the number of motorcycle crashes has skyrocketed, from 2,300 in 2004 to more than 3,250 in 2008 – a 42 percent increase. The state sees between 140 to 150 motorcycle deaths each year and more than 2,500 injuries. This is despite the fact that we’ve seen a huge spike in the number of motorcyclists wearing helmets. Just 10 percent of the motorcyclists killed in Tennessee between 1999 and 2008 weren’t wearing helmets.

Knox County has a crash rate of 10 per 1,000 motorcycle license endorsements, ranking it 34th out of the 95 counties in the state.

In terms of the deadliest months for motorcycle crashes, summer is unquestionably the leader, with fatalities beginning to spike in May and tapering off in September. That’s why May is an especially appropriate time to highlight awareness.

Motorcyclists comprise nearly 15 percent of all highway deaths, even though the number of motorcycle registrations represent just 3 percent of all the vehicles on the road.

And when we look at it on a per-vehicle-miles-traveled basis, motorcyclists are 30 times more likely than operators of four-wheeled vehicles to be killed in a crash and five times more likely to suffer a serious injury.

To help reduce these figures, the NHTSA recommends the following action by fellow motorists:

• Don’t drive distracted or drunk.
• Allow motorcyclists a full lane width.
• Always use your turn signals before you merge or change lanes or turn.
• Check your blind spots before changing lanes or merging.
• Bear in mind that even a few raindrops can pose a significant hazard to motorcyclists. Be especially courteous of them in inclement weather.
• Allow yourself more of a distance when you are behind a motorcycle so that he or she can navigate a safe stop or quick maneuver in an emergency.

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A recent sobriety checkpoint in Blount County netted a large number of citations given to motorcycle riders wearing non-compliant helmets.

The checkpoint on U.S. highway 129, resulted in 17 citations. Fifteen officers worked the checkpoint, which saw more than 200 vehicles in about two hours. As authorities work to reduce the risk of Tennessee drunk driving accidents, they found themselves monitoring the start of motorcycle riding season.

Knoxville motorcycle accident attorneys know May is motorcycle safety and awareness month. But that doesn’t mean thousands of riders aren’t already hit the streets following the unusually mild northern winter. Motorists are reminded to look twice and save a life as the spring and summer riding season gets under
way.

Eight riders at Saturday’s checkpoint were given citations for wearing non-compliant helmets, which means they were not approved by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Helmetcheck.org is a resource riders can use to help ensure they are wearing an approved helmet; the DOT or Snell sticker should also be located on the inside or outside of the helmet.

The truth is that the vast majority of riders are safety conscious, and all too aware of the risks inherent in riding a motorcycle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 4,000 riders a year are killed and nearly 100,000 are seriously injured in riding accidents.

About 100 riders a year are killed in motorcycle accidents in Tennessee.

And in more than half of all fatal accidents involving another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle is at fault. Failure to yield and turning left in front of a rider is the most common cause of serious and fatal motorcycle accidents.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers 10 Tips every car and truck driver should know about motorcycles:

-Look for motorcycles, particularly at intersections.

-A motorcycle’s size may mean it is closer than it appears. Speed can also be difficult to judge. When pulling into traffic, whether at an intersection or from a private drive, assume the rider is closer than he looks.

-Blind spots can hide motorcycles. So can obstacles like bushes, fences and parked cars. Take a moment to check thoroughly.

-A motorcycle’s small size makes it look fast; don’t assume a rider is speeding.

-Brake lights don’t always activate when a rider is slowing — bikes can be slowed by rolling out of the throttle and down shifting. Allow plenty of following distance.

-Turn signals on motorcycle’s don’t shut off on their own. Therefore they can be left on accidentally. Make sure of a rider’s intentions before proceeding.

-A motorcycle is entitled to it’s own lane of travel, and may move around in that lane to avoid debris, for better visibility or for other reasons. Don’t crowd a rider.

-While a motorcycle can be quite maneuverable, don’t expect a rider to be able to dodge out of the way.

-Motorcycles can be slow to stop, particularly on wet or slippery pavement.

-Think of a motorcycle in motion as a person.
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A bill that would have eliminated the requirement for motorcycle riders to wear helmets in Tennessee has been shelved this legislative session.

Those against the bill say wearing a helmet dramatically curbs the risk of serious injury in the event of a Knoxville motorcycle accident. Proponents of the bill, meanwhile, believe that the decision about whether to wear a helmet should be a personal one, not dictated by politicians.

Knoxville personal injury attorneys know this much: Whether the motorcycle is wearing a helmet holds no bearing on the liability of the other party in the event of a crash. What that means is that if you are involved in a crash, regardless of whether you are wearing a helmet, you can still move for legal action against the at-fault driver of the other vehicle. An experienced attorney can help you weigh all the options.

Still, the helmet issue was one that both sides were quite passionate about.

The Motorcyclist Liberty Restoration Act would have ended the requirement for riders over the age of 21 to wear a helmet in the state of Tennessee.

On the one hand, you had Libertarians, who viewed the issue as one of civil freedoms.

Rep. Glen Casada, R-Williamson County, was one of the bill’s co-sponsors. He was quoted as saying that government should not serve as mother and father to its citizens. The mandate that all motorcyclists wear helmets was taking things one step too far.

In repealing the law, supporters said it would boost the state’s tourism numbers, as more riders would begin flocking to the state.

On the other side, you have safety advocates, who said that helmet laws helped taxpayers avoid millions of dollars in expenses when riders suffered serious and long-lasting injuries. One study analyzed helmet use in states that had repealed their helmet requirement laws. They found that helmet use did indeed decline, and the number of motorcycle fatalities rose by some 30 percent.

Dr. Blaine Enderson of the University of Tennessee Medical Center, recently wrote an editorial that appeared in The Tennessean. He said that while he supported personal freedom of choice, motorcyclists don’t live in a bubble, and the choice of whether to wear a helmet is one that could affect their family, their employer and the community at-large.

A spokeswoman for the Tennessee Nurses Association was quoted by the local press as saying the issue is no different than laws that require vehicle occupants to wear seat belts.

Using this comparison, our Tennessee injury attorneys would note that just because a person isn’t wearing a seat belt at the time of a crash, it doesn’t release the other at-fault driver from being held legally accountable. It’s the same with motorcycle riders.

The truth of the matter is, the majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by drivers who either aren’t paying attention or aren’t being respectful of these two-wheeled vehicles sharing the roadway. In these cases, it’s important to have an experienced attorney who will fight to win you the compensation you deserve.
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Greg Hardy, the defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, will be sitting out for at least two weeks of the team’s training camp after a motorcycle accident in Tennessee. The football star wrecked his bike on Interstate 40 just outside of Knoxville. The entire left side of his body was badly skinned during the accident. He was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, according to The Charlotte Observer, where he was treated for abrasions on his leg, foot and arm.

The accident happen when Hardy was heading east on Interstate 40 and slammed into the vehicle traveling in front of him causing him to lose control of his bike. The collision caused his bike to roll several times before coming to a rest on the shoulder. He has been charged with driving without a license, failure to exercise due care, following too closely and failure to yield.

Our Knoxville motorcycle accident attorneys recognize that the number of motorcycle accidents in our state continues to increase. Unfortunately, the rate of injury also continues to grow. These riders are often overlooked by passenger-vehicle motorists on our roadways. The lack of understanding regarding the functions of motorcycles leaves the two-wheeled motorists at great risks for a deadly accident.

Between the years of 2004 and 2008, motorcycle accidents in the state of Tennessee rose by a yearly average of 9.2 percent. Since 1999, motorcycle accident deaths increased by more than 145 percent.

Here are the yearly increases, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety:

-2003: 90 deaths: a 20.0 percent increase from 2002.

-2004: 97 deaths: a 7.8 percent increase.

-2005: 129 deaths: a 33 percent increase.

-2006: 141 deaths: 9.3 percent increase.

-2007: 149 deaths: 5.7 percent increase.

You may think that motorcycles are more vulnerable to traffic accidents during the evening hours, but the truth is that nearly 75 of motorcycle accidents in Tennessee happened during daylight hours.

The Tennessee Department of Safety offers these safety tips to help passenger-vehicle motorists avoid an accident with a motorcycle:

-Stay out of their lane. Motorcyclists need a full lane and enough space to respond to a number of roadway hazards and they need to have full visibility of the area around them.

-Check your vehicle’s blind spots. Many accidents occur because vehicles don’t check these areas where motorcyclists can get lost.

-Always make use of your turn signal. Making your maneuvers known will help them to anticipate traffic flow.

-Lookout at intersections. Nearly 70 percent of accidents that involved a car and a motorcycle happened when a car turned in front of a motorcyclist.

-Don’t follow too closely. You should allow at least a four-second following distance between your car and a motorcycle. Give them extra space in bad weather.
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