How do motorcycle accidents occur in West Virginia?
Operating a motorcycle in West Virginia can be hazardous, but that does not deter motorcycle enthusiasts from jumping on their bikes and heading out on the open road. Motorcycle riders must always be mindful of the potential danger lurking around every corner. A patch of loose gravel, oil on the road or uneven pavement can really ruin your day. But, the most common cause of motorcycle accidents in West Virginia is not road hazards, it is other drivers. The causes of motorcycle accidents in West Virginia are endless so let’s talk about the most common types.
Topping the list is the “I didn’t see you there.” Motorists who are not used to looking motorcycles when they execute turns, change lanes, merge into traffic or stop abruptly. So, most motorcycle accidents in West Virginia could be avoided by drivers simply paying more attention to bikers.
A subcategory to the “I didn’t see you there,” is the T-Bone. The T-Bone happens when a careless driver pulls out in front of a motorcycle or turns into the biker’s path. In a T-Bone accident, it is not uncommon for the motorcycle rider and their passenger to be launched over their handlebars and be struct by other vehicles or suffer serious injury or death when they land on the pavement.
Next is the lane change. Drivers on the freeway often have a hard time seeing a biker. A motorcycle is a relatively small target and it is easy to disappear in an automobile’s blind spot. It is common for motorists to change lanes into the path of a motorcycle, sometimes running them over or causing the biker to crash into the rear of their vehicle. This happens a lot when a motorcycle is lane splitting. Even at low speeds, lane change accidents with motorcycles can result in catastrophic injury to the biker, even death.
Like the lane change, there is the car door. Car doors being opened in front of a biker may result in minor damage to the car but life changing injury to the motorcycle accident victim.
One of the worst kinds of motorcycle accidents in West Virginia is the rear-end. This occurs when the motorcycle rider has stopped at a light or because of traffic and the car traveling behind it strikes them from the rear. We see these a lot since the invention of texting. Distracted drivers don’t see the motorcycle stopped in front of them until the accident is already in motion. Bikers are often run over or trapped between vehicles. Needless to say, if they escape from the motorcycle accident with just a broken bone or some cuts, they are lucky.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in West Virginia, our Wheeling personal injury attorney is here to help. We can get you the medical treatment you need and the financial compensation you deserve. Call us today.
