Were you injured in a motorcycle accident caused by a distracted driver? If so, you could be owed compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, damage to your bike, and more. An experienced Maine motorcycle accident lawyer from Mann Law could help you get answers and justice.
Distracted driving – defined as any activity that takes a driver’s eyes or mind off the road – is a significant problem in Mane and throughout the United States. Because texting, scrolling through social media, and other activities have become commonplace in our daily lives, there are more opportunities than ever for a driver to become distracted while behind the wheel. While distracted driving places everyone on the road in danger, motorcyclists are at especially high risk due to their smaller size, reduced visibility, and relative lack of protection and safety features.
If a distracted driver hits a motorcyclist, the rider is most often the one at risk of suffering serious or even fatal injuries. If you were hurt through no fault of your own, you deserve compensation from the at-fault party. The experienced Maine motorcycle accident attorneys at Mann Law will be ready to stand up and fight for you. Call us, fill out a contact form, or chat with us online to schedule your free consultation.
Types Of Distracted Driving
Any activity that takes the driver’s focus from the wheel could be considered a distraction. In general, distractions will fall under four categories: Visual, cognitive, manual, and auditory. Some specific and particularly common causes of distracted driving include:
Using a phone to text or browse the internet
Posting on social media
Talking on a phone
Talking to passengers
Operating a tablet
Eating or drinking
Applying makeup
Personal grooming
Reading
Dealing with kids in the back seat
Programming a GPS system
Watching a video
Adjusting the radio
How Distracted Driving Can Cause a Motorcycle Accident
Eating, drinking, grooming, texting, and talking to passengers are just a few of the risky actions that can lead to an accident. While everyone on the road is at risk of serious injury when a driver is not paying attention, the risk is especially notable for those on motorcycles. Because motorcyclists have little protection aside from their protective wear and headgear, any accident has the potential to cause serious or catastrophic injuries.
Drivers of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks often have a difficult time seeing motorcycles under normal circumstances. When they are distracted, the situation is considerably worse. For example, if a driver is typing a text, it is easy for a motorcyclist to move into their blind spot without being seen. Drivers who are sending texts also are likely to swerve in and out of their lane because they are looking at their phone instead of the road.
Distracted Driving Statistics
In 2019, distracted claimed 3,142 lives, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In 2018, there were 36,750 fatalities related to car accidents. Of these, 5.7% were due to the driver texting and driving or talking on their phone.
According to the NHTSA, approximately nine people are killed and over 1,000 injured every day in crashes where at least one driver was distracted. In 2017, an estimated 391,000 drivers were injured in distracted driving crashes. In 2019, distracted driving was a factor in nearly 9% of deadly motor vehicle crashes.
Over 220 million people in the U.S. subscribe to wireless services, and it is estimated that as many as 80% of them use their phones while driving.
According to the NHTSA, approximately 36% of drivers use a smartphone app at a stop sign or red light, and 35% of motorists keep using their phone or app while driving.
In 2018, a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety discovered that texting while driving increases the chances of a car crash two-fold.
How a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
In many motorcycle accident cases, the distracted driver is at fault because if they had been paying close attention to the road, the crash would not have happened. However, sometimes the distracted driver may not be completely at fault.
For example, if the motorcyclist turned into the motorist’s path and the distracted motorist did not see them in time to stop, both parties may share some responsibility for the crash. Because Maine follows a comparative negligence doctrine, you could still seek compensation even if you were partly at fault for the crash. Your recovery may be reduced according to the percentage of fault assigned to you.
Injuries caused by motorcycle accidents are typically much more serious than those caused by a car accident. Motorcycle accident victims often rack up costly hospital bills as a result. The skilled Maine motorcycle accident lawyers at Mann Law will fight to recover the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.
If a distracted driver hit you, Mann Law will be ready to help. We will launch a thorough investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the motorcycle accident, including gathering police reports, witness statements, photos of the accident scene, and medical records. Our attorneys will build a case to help you recover compensation to cover your expenses, which may include:
Medical bills (past and future)
Rehabilitation
Physical therapy
Loss wages due to missed work
Lost earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Other accident-related costs
Contact a Distracted Driving Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Whenever a car collides with a motorcycle, the resulting injuries and damage to property can be devastating. If you or a loved one were hurt due to another driver’s failure to pay attention to the road, you should not have to struggle to pay your medical bills and move on with your life. Contact an experienced Maine motorcycle attorney right away to get the fair compensation you need and deserve.
Christiana Mann and the team at Mann Law team will be ready to fight for you. We will work with the insurance adjusters and the companies they represent so you won’t have to. We’ll be ready to put our skills and experience handling these specific types of cases to work for you.
Contact us for a free and 100% confidential consultation to find out how we can help you get justice.
