Motorcycle Accidents
As the warm weather is approaching, many people are beginning to dust off their motorcycles. While riding a motorcycle can be exhilarating, it also exposes an individual to a high risk of injury. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are five times more likely to be injured than people in passenger motor vehicles due to the lack of enclosure around a person while riding a motorcycle.
Different parties may be held liable in a serious motorcycle accident, including the cyclist themselves, another driver, a state agency or private party responsible for maintaining the road, or even the manufacturer of the motorcycle if the bike contained a defect. Under New York State law, a motorcycle accident victim must be able to establish that the accident was a result of negligence in order to recover compensation.
Some of the most common reasons motorcycle accidents occur are distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield, drunk driving, texting and driving, following too closely behind a motorcyclist, among others. Under New York State law, a victim can recover for both economic and non-economic losses. This means a victim in a motorcycle accident may recover damages for medical expenses, property damage, loss of income, diminished quality of life, as well as emotional and physical pain and suffering. Additionally, a spouse may file suit for loss of consortium.
In determining how much a serious motorcycle accident case is worth, a skilled personal injury attorney will look at a variety of factors such as the damages to the motorcycle, occupation and income of the victim, extent of the injuries as well as long term prognosis, incurred medical expenses, among other things.
Under New York State law, it is unlawful for any person to ride or operate a motorcycle without a safety helmet. Therefore, it is important to mitigate the risk of injury when riding a motorcycle by always making sure to wear a helmet and proper riding gear in order protect yourself from harm.
For over 50 years, spanning three generations, the personal injury lawyers at Levine & Slavit, PLLC have obtained outstanding results on behalf of its clients. With law offices conveniently located in New York City and Long Island, our experienced attorneys are able to assist the residents of Nassau County, Suffolk County as well as the five boroughs of New York City, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island, with their personal injury matters, including serious motorcycle accidents. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact our New York motorcycle accident law firm at (888) LAW-8088.
