When a car collides with a person riding a motorcycle, serious injury and fatality are the likely results. One motorcycle rider in Mississippi died in a recent accident in which a car struck his motorcycle from behind. While all types of motorcycle accidents can cause serious injury and death, rear-end motorcycle accidents are some of the deadliest and most damaging motorcycle wrecks that occur. Riders simply do not have the protection that being enclosed in a vehicle provides, and the impact of another vehicle hitting their motorcycle can crush them or send them airborne.
The recent fatal motorcycle crash in Mississippi is still under investigation, and it serves as a tragic reminder that both riders and drivers must educate themselves about the risks associated with motorcycle accidents as well as how riders and drivers can safely share the roads.
Rear-end collisions are just one of the types of accidents that can occur while a person is riding a motorcycle. There are two main categories of rear-end motorcycle accidents. The first type of rear-end motorcycle accident occurs when a rider is stopped at a traffic light or for some other reason, and they are hit from behind.
The other type of rear-end motorcycle accident occurs when a motorcycle hits the back of another vehicle. This type of motorcycle accident is called a sudden stop accident. Sudden stop motorcycle accidents often cause death or permanent disability. During a sudden stop accident, the rider is often ejected from his or her bike and the bike often “cartwheels” or flips end-over-end. The rider can collide with moving or fixed objects as they fly through the air, and they can hit the ground with tremendous force. Unfortunately, an airborne rider can also land in the path of a moving vehicle.
Many motorcycle accidents can be prevented if drivers and riders operate their vehicles safely. Motorists can reduce the risk of hitting a motorcycle by looking twice in either direction before entering an intersection. Also, checking side and rear view mirrors when changing lanes, and navigating on and off ramps will greatly reduce the risk that your vehicle will enter the path of an oncoming motorcycle.
Both riders and drivers can reduce the risk of an accident by using turn signals to help each other anticipate the movements of their vehicles. Likewise, riders and drivers can prevent many accidents by simply giving each other enough space. Space between vehicles of any type gives drivers and riders a chance to respond to the movements of the vehicles around them. Many drivers do not realize that motorcycle riders need at least twice as much space as people driving other types of vehicles because of the way that they are designed to slow down and stop. There is a tendency for drivers to either treat motorcycles like cars and leave them the amount of space that a car would need (which is not enough) or to give them even less space than that because of the mistaken assumption that smaller vehicles need less space to maneuver.
Barrett Law PLLC: Serving the Victims of Mississippi Motorcycle Accidents and Their Families
If you have lost a loved one in a Mississippi motorcycle accident or if you were injured in a motorcycle crash, the Mississippi Personal Injury Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to assist you. To learn more, please call our office today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule a free consultation.