Motorcycle Accidents, Serious Personal Injury and Fatalities

The True Tale:

There are hundreds of TV commercials out there. Most are tedious and annoying. Some are clever and entertaining. Few have a recurring phrase that catches on, like: “For those who were born to ride!”  You’ve seen it? If so, you know it refers to motorcycles and an insurance company. I’ll skip the insurance part of it and focus upon the motorcycle component, “For those who were born to ride!”

Some viewers out there raise an eyebrow and wonder, why would anybody want to ride a motorcycle? Especially with all the risks of injury, some say! I have never been on one, but close members of my family are owners, and have. When riding, they describe an infinite sense of freedom, and feel like a free spirit as the bike moves along with the outside air and wind sweeping the biker in a very unique way. Not being enclosed in a car but being in full contact with the climate elements, provides a special exhilaration.  Bikers enjoy that experience, which is particularly personal to the rider of that two-wheeled open moving machine. But the root of that special joy can also be the instrument of a serious accident despite the safe operation of the bike. What do I mean? The following…

Accidents happen. They mostly involve motor vehicles, and they occur in different ways. I’ll describe just a few:

• A vehicle enters an intersection while the motorcycle is traveling in the opposite direction when suddenly the motorist makes a quick left turn and crashes into the bike. A serious injury to the biker follows.
• Or, the motorist is busily engaged on the cell phone and without warning suddenly moves into the lane in which the biker is traveling, causing an accident. A serious injury to the biker follows.
• Or, the motorist is inattentive and fails to see the smaller motorcycle, and slams into it. A serious injury to the biker follows.
• Or, through recklessness, the motorist strikes the rear of the motorcycle travelling in front. A serious injury to the biker follows.
• And the multitude of vehicle/motorcycle accidents goes on and on…

I do not excuse those bikers who speed excessively, weave in and out of lanes, or ride so dangerously as to imperil the safety of others as well as the biker. As for those reckless riders, they should follow the established code of responsible motorcycle organizations that employ the acronym ABATE which translates to American Bikers for Awareness Training and Education. However, in most cases, it is the motorist, not the biker, that causes the accident resulting in serious personal injury, and sometimes even death to the motorcyclist.

If motorists became more aware of motorcycles, the most serious of motorcycle accidents could be avoided, and most importantly, serious and fatal injuries could be significantly reduced!

Finz & Finz, P.C. has represented motorcycle accident victims for nearly four decades. Unfortunately, many motorcycle accidents caused by inattentive automobile or truck drivers result in severe life-altering injuries. Therefore, the motorcyclist must always take precautions to help prevent a serious accident caused by another motorist.

The Message:

• “THE JOY OF LIFE IS TO LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST. BUT THE FULLNESS OF LIFE IS TO LIVE IT IN SAFETY!”

Leonard L. Finz, age 96, is a decorated WWII veteran (1^st Lt., Field Artillery, Philippines), a former New York State Supreme Court Justice, Peer-Reviewed as “One of America’s Preeminent Lawyers”, and the Founder of Finz & Finz, P.C.