milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer common crashes and how to avoid them

Unfortunately, motorcycle crashes are a daily occurrence with thousands of riders killed in wrecks every year. Many car drivers are not looking for motorcycles and, in many cases, are the ones who cause these accidents. Certain types of these accidents are more common than others. Below, our Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer discusses how these crashes happen and how you can avoid them.

The Most Common of All Motorcycle Crashes

The most common motorcycle accident happens because of left-hand turns. In this type of accident, a motorcycle is hit while it’s going through an intersection by another vehicle trying to make a turn. This situation is extremely dangerous for riders and accounts for over 40% of all crashes between motorcycles and cars. While riding, look for signs that someone might be about to turn in front of your bike. If a car is waiting to turn, there’s space in traffic ahead of you or the driver quickly looks both directions and begins to inch forward, these all may be signs that someone is about to turn in front of you. Try to make eye contact with the driver so that they see you and don’t try to turn in front of you. Always be ready to slow down, your ability to react quickly may save your life.

Staying Out of the Danger Zone

According to our Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer, another very common type of motorcycle crashes occur when a car switches into a rider’s lane without seeing them, colliding with the bike. Many times, a driver cannot see a motorcycle in their blind spot or is not paying attention when changing lanes. To avoid being hit by a lane-changing vehicle, make sure you can see the car’s mirrors and the driver’s face in the mirror when you’re riding past them. If you can see the driver, the driver should also be able to see you. If you think you are in a car’s blind spot, you should either speed up or slow down to get out of this dangerous zone. Always look for signs that a car might be about to change lanes. These include the turn signals coming on, the driver moving their head to look in either direction or the wheels beginning to turn. As always, be ready to react quickly.

Motorcycle Accidents Can Be Fatal ... Especially When Head-On Collisions Occur

Motorcycle crashes also commonly happen due to head-on collisions with another vehicle. This type of accident is the most fatal to riders. Many times, a head-on collision happens with a car swerving into a rider’s lane, hitting them, sending them flying in the air or crushing them. With most of these accidents happening at high speeds, our Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer details a few things that you need to do quickly to avoid being hit head-on:

  • Always keep an eye on the road ahead of you.
  • Stay in the right part of the lane or the far-right lane whenever you can, so that you’re farther away from oncoming traffic.
  • Always have a way to exit your lane quickly and be ready to reduce your speed if you see a car driving dangerously toward you.

If You've Been Hurt, Our Experienced Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help!

While you’re on your bike, always be aware, since drivers around you may not be. This will help you stay safe and avoid the deadly accidents that happen too often. Hupy and Abraham has been promoting motorcycle awareness and safety for decades. The firm’s “Watch for Motorcycles” campaign aims to keep the public aware that motorcycles are everywhere and need to be top of mind while driving. If you are injured on your motorcycle, get in touch with our Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer right away. We’ve helped over 70,000 injured clients receive over $1 billion for their injuries.

To schedule a free consultation with our qualified and experienced Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer, fill out our online request form or give us a call at 414-223-4800 now.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.