Rocklin Motorcycle Accidents Increase
Rocklin motorcycle accidents are on the rise. In 2015, the latest year for statistics, the California Office of Traffic Safety reported 105 injuries and fatalities occurred in Placer County, an increase over the previous year. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, a high percentage of motorcycle accidents end in the fatality of a rider.
2016 Statistics on Motorcycle Accidents
The risk of traumatic injuries and death in Rocklin motorcycle accidents is amplified by the lack of protection for the rider. Following are some of the statistics on fatalities nationwide:
- Fatalities caused by motorcycle accidents increased by 5.1 percent in 2016 to 5,286.
- 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2016 was to motorcycle riders.
- 94 percent of the fatalities in accidents involving motorcycles were to the riders, while the remaining 6 percent were passengers.
- Two-wheeled motorcycles accounted for 94 percent of the fatalities out of all motorcycle accidents.
Major Causes of Rocklin Motorcycle Accidents
A variety of factors contribute to accidents involving a motorcycle, including age, speed, type of bike, licensing and alcohol usage. In 2016, the following elements were provided:
- Motorcyclists over the age of 40 made up 54 percent of those killed in 2016.
- Speeding contributed to 33 percent of fatalities involving motorcycles. Reducing motorcycle injuries and fatalities is possible by merely slowing down.
- The engine size of a motorcycle increases the risk of an accident resulting in the injury or death of the rider. In 2016, riders with bikes equipped with a 1,500 cc or larger engine made up 22 percent of all fatalities in motorcycle accidents.
- Prior driving record convictions and lack of licensing were found in 27 percent of motorcycle accidents that resulted in fatalities.
- In 2016, 25 percent of motorcyclists who died in a collision was found to be impaired by alcohol at the time.
Injuries Caused by Rocklin Motorcycle Accidents
The most common injuries a biker suffers are:
- Head injury: This is often the result of not wearing a helmet or wearing one that does not comply with safety standards. Head injuries vary from minor concussions to those that cause debilitating after effects.
- Neck Injury: The severity of injury to the cervical spine is dependent on where the damage occurs. For instance, injury to C1 and C2, cervical disks one and two, often referred to as the atlas and axis, can cause complete paralysis and require artificial respiratory assistance.
- Road rash: This injury is caused when the biker is thrown from his or her bike and slides across the pavement. The damage from such Rocklin motorcycle accidents is compounded when the motorcyclist fails to wear proper protective clothing, exposing the skin to the roadway or gravel.
- Lower extremity fractures: Fractures of the lower extremities are common. Even if the bone fracture is a simple one, it can require weeks of wearing a cast. More severe fractures can necessitate the use of pins to hold the healing bones together, which requires surgery.
- Upper extremity fractures: Although fractures of the upper extremities do not occur with the same frequency, they can be disabling in Rocklin motorcycle accidents. Not only do they take time to heal while wearing a cast, but they may also require surgery and prevent the individual from working.
- Pelvic trauma: When a biker is thrown from his or her motorcycle or hit by another vehicle, a pelvic fracture can occur. These generally require surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
- Injury to the upper chest and abdomen: Chest and abdominal trauma can have serious repercussions in Rocklin motorcycle accidents. Broken ribs, heart damage, lung trauma and internal bleeding can all result.
Rocklin Motorcycle Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Rocklin motorcycle accident attorney. If you’ve been harmed in a motorcycle accident or a loved one was killed, you might be able to be compensated for your loss. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also use my convenient contact us form on my website AutoAccident.com, which I own and operate.
I’ve helped the good people of Rocklin for the past 36 years in a number of different car accident types, brain injuries, pedestrian accidents and wrongful death cases.
I’m a long-time member of Million Dollar Advocates, a group of the top trial lawyers around the nation who have demonstrated a verdict or settlement for a client in excess of one million dollars.
When you need to retain an attorney, you should learn about them and their practice. Learn about mine by visiting the following pages where you’ll find reviews by my peers and former clients as well as the way I resolved prior cases:
Photo Attribution: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bike-rider-bikers-bikes-building-612886/
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