Fatal Motorcycle Accidents
There are far fewer motorcycles on the road than there are passenger vehicles, which means the number of motorcycle accidents is significantly lower than the number of car crashes. Despite that, the risk of dying in a motorcycle crash is disproportionately high. Motorcycles, by nature, are not as crashworthy as most other vehicles, so motorcycle accidents tend to be catastrophic.
Motorcycle accident lawyers at the Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC, understand the unique damages associated with motorcycle crashes, particularly those that result in fatalities. Our lawyers work with surviving loved ones in the Oklahoma City, OK, area following fatal motorcycle accidents, to help them pursue maximum compensation for the full extent of accident and wrongful death damages.
The Risk of Motorcycle Accident Fatalities
The Insurance Information Institute recently reported on motorcycle accident data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to this accident data, 5,014 motorcyclists died in motorcycle crashes in 2019. This was a slight improvement from 2018, when 5,038 people were killed in motorcycle crashes. While it is good to see motorcycle fatalities go down, death remains a huge risk of motorcycle crashes.
Based on accident data and the number of accident fatalities by vehicle type, motorcyclists in 2019 were 29 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash (per vehicle miles traveled). This statistic alone highlights the huge risk of death that motorcyclists face when they are involved in a crash.
Why Are Motorcycle Fatalities So Common?
Motorcycle accidents tend to result in far more catastrophic injuries than accidents involving passenger vehicles, and a greater number of accident fatalities. The main reason that motorcyclists face such a high risk of accident fatalities is the structure of the motorcycle. Motorcycles do not have the protective shell that passenger vehicles have. If an accident occurs, there is nothing to protect motorcycle riders from the impact of the collision. As a result, motorcyclists are often thrown from their bike during an accident, which frequently leads to catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Damages in Fatal Motorcycle Accidents
When individuals are injured in a car crash, they have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or party liable for the accident, and hold them accountable for resulting losses. When an accident results in death, the victim is not able to take legal action on their own behalf. Instead, surviving loved ones can work with our Oklahoma City lawyers to file a wrongful death claim. A wrongful death claim lets descendants pursue compensation for losses suffered by the accident victim’s estate, as well as their own personal losses.
Each case is unique, but potential damages in fatal motorcycle accidents include:
- Medical expenses related to the treatment of accident injuries
- Lost income of the deceased
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Emotional suffering of surviving family members (loss of consortium/companionship)
- Loss of household services the deceased provided
- Loss of anticipated financial contributions (retirement benefits, medical benefits, etc.)
Contact the Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC
If you have lost a loved one to a fatal motorcycle accident, you may be due substantial financial compensation for economic and non-economic losses. To discuss your case with the motorcycle accident lawyers at the Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC, contact us online, or call our Oklahoma City practice at (405) 607-1400.