Spring in Ohio and Kentucky brings the risk of motorcycle crashes

Those injured in motorcycle accidents should consult legal counsel to learn about potential legal remedies.

It’s the time of year again when Ohio and Kentucky bikers are itching to get their motorcycles out of the garage and hit the open road. From the Ohio River to the Wayne National Forest, from Kentucky’s northern hill country to the scenic Hocking Hills – our beautiful region beckons.

Safer biking

For many, motorcycling is a lifestyle; for others, it’s an ecological and thrifty way to get around town. Whatever the reason, every motorcycle driver and rider can take concrete steps to stay safer on a road shared with vehicles weighing tons and drivers who may be distracted, tired or impaired. Some common-sense safety measures:

• Wear heavy clothing and footwear, helmets, gloves and eye protection.
• Keep your motorcycle well maintained and perform regular safety checks.
• Do not ride when tired or after use of alcohol, drugs or certain medications.
• Obey all traffic laws.
• Take periodic riding safety classes.
• Do not follow too closely to the vehicle in front of you.
• Adjust driving for weather. Stay off or get off the road in dangerous conditions.
• Do not use a cell phone while driving except in an emergency.
• Be defensive: Stay out of blind spots and never assume other drivers are aware of your motorcycle.
• Don’t try risky maneuvers.

Accidents still may happen

Motorcycle accidents often involve the cycle colliding with a larger vehicle. Common scenarios include a truck or car turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle or switching lanes into a motorcycle. Serious injury can result from a motorcycle stopped at an intersection being rear ended by a large vehicle or even a head-on collision.

It is also common for a cycle to collide with a stationary object or spin out. For example, the driver of a vehicle might force a cyclist off the road, or poorly maintained pavement might cause ejectment from the cycle when it hits a large pothole or unexpected gravel.

Injury can be serious and even disabling

Motorcyclists and their passengers are obviously in great danger of harm in a collision with a heavy, closed vehicle. Bodies are susceptible to serious injury from heavy, unprotected impact as well as from ejection. Common injuries can include:

• Traumatic brain injury or TBI
• Concussion
• Facial fracture
• Burns
• Bone fractures and limb amputation
• Spinal cord injury and paralysis
• Road rash, bruising and scarring
• Death

After medical attention, talk to a lawyer

It is smart to seek legal counsel as soon as possible after the accident so that the attorney can begin a comprehensive investigation while evidence and witness memories are fresh.

There may be more than one potentially responsible party, including insurance companies, negligent or reckless drivers, mechanics who performed substandard repair or maintenance of vehicles or motorcycles, governmental units or private contractors responsible for poor road design or maintenance, manufacturers or sellers of defective vehicles or motorcycles or of their parts, and others.

Comprehensive recovery of compensation may include money for these losses:

• Medical costs, past and future, including reconstructive and plastic surgery
• Long-term care
• Lost wages, past and future
• Reduced earning capacity
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Modifications to vehicles and home
• Medical equipment
• Therapies
• Personal care aides and housekeeping assistance
• In case of death, medical costs, funeral expenses and loss of support

In egregious cases, punitive damages may be available, meant to punish the at-fault party for particularly offensive behavior.

The lawyers at the law firm of Gregory S. Young Co., LPA, represent the injured victims of motorcycle accidents in personal injury lawsuits as well as the surviving loved ones of those who have died in such crashes in wrongful death claims. We have 13 convenient offices throughout the Ohio-Northern Kentucky region, but our attorneys can travel to meet with clients whose injuries make leaving home or hospital difficult.