The unfortunate reality of riding a motorcycle is that you’re at the mercy of those around you. You can be the safest rider in the world, and you can still be struck by another vehicle. Oftentimes, accidents are relatively unavoidable, even for a prepared and attentive motorcyclist.
For example, left-turn accidents involving inattentive motorists are often relatively unavoidable. Which isn’t to say that riders shouldn’t educate themselves and protect themselves to the best of their ability.
Vehicles turning ahead of your bike
When riding, you’ll want to watch for vehicles ahead of your bike – on the other side of the road – that are waiting to turn left. For instance, you may be on a straight two-way road with houses on either side. Drivers who are commuting down that road are going to stop to pull into various driveways, waiting for traffic to clear and then making a left turn.
What will sometimes happen is that a driver will not see a motorcycle. Or they may see one and think that it’s too far away. They may neglect to check for it entirely – many drivers forget – or a motorcycle may be hidden by a larger vehicle on the road. For whatever reason, it may not register with a turning driver that a motorcycle is approaching their vehicle. As a result, that driver makes the turn when it’s unsafe. The motorcyclist has no warning as the vehicle suddenly blocks their entire lane while the driver turns in front of them.
This kind of accident may be unavoidable because a motorcyclist can’t swerve to either side, even in the slim chance that they have time to do so. Swerving left would mean careening into oncoming traffic, whereas swerving right would just cause a collision with the other vehicle as it turns. Motorcyclists typically just have time to hit the brakes and brace for impact.
Do you need compensation?
If you’ve been involved in an accident like this, you may have suffered significant injuries that are going to lead to high medical bills and that will keep you out of work. All of this can become incredibly expensive. If another driver was responsible for the wreck, then you may be able to seek financial compensation for your losses. Seeking legal guidance is a good place to start.