Motorcyclists in Massachusetts face dangers that occupants of motor vehicles do not face. A motorcycle doesn’t provide riders with the structural protection and safety features motor vehicles have. Motorcyclists are generally left open to the elements, meaning that if a motorcycle accident occurs the motorcyclist could be seriously injured or even killed.
A motorcycle accident in Massachusetts has left a motorcyclist critically injured. The incident occurred on Route 101 in the evening of August 15. The motorcyclist was traveling west when a Dodge Dart rear-ended him. The force of the collision threw the motorcyclist from his bike, causing him to suffer injuries that officers described as life-threatening. The driver of the Dodge Dart refused medical treatment.
Motorcyclists in Massachusetts and across the nation face a high risk of being involved in a crash. Approximately two-thirds of motorcycle crashes are caused when the person behind the wheel of the other vehicle failed to yield to the motorcyclist’s right-of-way. Motorcyclists are over 25 times more likely to lose their lives in a motorcycle accident than those in a standard automobile and are five times more likely to suffer injuries in a crash. In addition, since 1999, the number of fatal motorcycle crashes increased two-fold.
Motorists have a legal duty to drive reasonably under the circumstances, and this duty of care includes keeping an eye out for motorcyclists in their vicinity. If this legal duty is breached and causes a crash that injures or kills the motorcyclists, the motorist may be held liable for the collision.
