May is Motorcycle Awareness Safety Month. Every year, it is a reminder to motorcycle accident victims and the families of riders killed in collisions of what happened to them, often at the hands of a negligent motorist.
A motorcycle crash is among the most deadly types of motor vehicle collisions. And sadly, 2020 was a bad year for riders and traffic fatalities in New York. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee reports 179 motorcycle accident fatalities occurred last year. That is more than a 25 percent increase over 2019, when 133 riders and passengers were killed.
Less traffic but more tragedies
This is a heartbreaking figure. It may also surprise you, given how low traffic was most of last year. Lockdowns and employees shifting to working from home meant far fewer New Yorkers commuted to work and school than usual. But that did not reduce the number of deadly crashes involving motorcycles.
Motorcycle accidents and negligence
Motorcycle collisions with four-wheeled vehicles happen for a variety of reasons. But negligent drivers play a major role. Things like distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding and road rage routinely put riders in danger. And when a motorcycle is hit or forced to crash, the rider has little to protect them from serious injury. Things like a motorcycle helmet, padded jacket and other safety gear help, but do little to cushion the blow from a multi-ton car, truck or SUV.
While most motorcycle accidents are not fatal, they frequently cause long-lasting pain and disability to victims. If you have been seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash, you could be entitled to substantial compensation.
