As spring and summer weather arrives and makes it more pleasant to be outdoors, many more people will be getting on their motorcycles to enjoy riding season. Whether motorcycle riders ride for pleasure or for commuting and practical purposes, motorcyclists are more likely to be on the roads during the warmer months. Unfortunately, with more motorcycle riders on the road, this means there will be a greater chance of an accident happening between a motorcyclist and a car.
Just recently, once such accident happened with deadly results. WTOP reported a collision occurred on Route 28 in Short Gap within West Virginia. The collision caused the death of a man who had been visiting West Virginia from out of state. The man was identified as being 68 years old and was visiting from Pennsylvania at the time of the incident. He was taken to the hospital for treatment for injuries after the motorcycle accident, but he died at the hospital. He is one of may who will tragically lose their lives in motorcycle accidents in West Virginia.
Motorcyclists in West Virginia Face Risks
The motorcycle rider in this particular case became involved in a crash when his bike hit the rear of a car. The car had stopped to turn. Another passenger on the motorcycle, a 63-year-old woman, was on the bike at the time when the motorcycle hit the car. She was thrown from the bike like the motorcycle driver was, but she was luckily able to survive the accident. The driver of the car who the motorcycle hit, along with two passengers, were also able to survive the crash, but were taken to the hospital for evaluation to determine if they had any serious lingering problems due to the motorcycle crash.
Motorcycle riders who get into accidents are much more likely to die or to be seriously hurt than people who get into car accidents in passenger cars, so both drivers and motorcycle riders in West Virginia need to do everything they can to prevent accidents from happening in the first place.
If a car and motorcycle do become involved in a crash, motorcycle riders face higher fatality rates than passenger car occupants. Motorcyclists were also five times as likely as people in passenger cars to be hurt as a result of a crash occurring. This is due to both the unprotected nature of the motorcycle rider and other factors commonly involved in accidents, such as speeding or driver distraction.
If a motorcyclist is injured in an accident caused by the driver of another vehicle, that driver should become responsible to victims for covering losses.
