Each time a serious motorcycle accident in Wisconsin hits the news, commentators ponder endlessly about reckless bikers and their powerful killer machines.

The Milwaukee attorneys of Hupy & Abraham are passionate motorcycle fans. Witnessing numerous tragic motorcycle accident cases in their daily work, Hupy & Abraham want to contribute in two ways: enhancing motorcycle riding safety and fighting for bikers' rights.

One recent study by the University of Southern California produced a wealth of information about motorcycle riding safety. Conducted with funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the study's analysis of 3,600 motorcycle crashes is the largest on the subject in recent times. Some of the more important findings were:

• Close to 75 percent of all motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, usually a passenger car;
• In two-thirds of these multiple-vehicle crashes, the driver of the other vehicle ignored the motorcycle's right-of-way and caused the accident;
• Most of these crashes resulted from drivers not detecting or recognizing the motorcycle;
• The most frequent configuration of these crashes involves a car turning left into the path of an oncoming motorcycle;
• In many crashes involving another car, the car driver's view of the motorcycle was hampered by glare or obstructed by other vehicles;
• One quarter of motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle crashes;
• In two-thirds of the single-vehicle crashes, the biker made an error or lost control of the motorcycle, often by running wide on a curve, under-cornering, sliding or falling;
• Roadway defects and motorcycle failures account for little more than respectively two and three percent of all motorcycle accidents.

If you have been hurt in a Wisconsin or Illinois motorcycle accident, contact Hupy & Abraham, S.C. today at 800-800-5676 (toll-free) or 414-223-4800 (local) for a free evaluation of your case, or send us an e-mail with your questions. Hupy & Abraham has offices in Milwaukee, Madison, and Appleton in Wisconsin, and Gurnee and Bloomington in Illinois.