Motorcycle Accident Overview and Statistics – Experienced Attorneys Serving Clients in Rhode Island
The motorcycle accident statistics for Rhode Island are revealing: there were 13 fatal motorcycle accidents in 2007 alone.* If you have suffered personal injury or, even more tragically, the loss of a loved one in a motorcycle collision, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and losses. It is imperative that you understand your rights. Our motorcycle accident attorneys can help. We serve clients throughout Rhode Island, providing exceptional legal counsel on our clients’ behalf. When you enlist the services of our team, we will work diligently to help you understand how the law impinges on your particular case while seeking any damages to which you may be entitled.
Motorcycle Accident Law
When a motorcyclist is injured in an accident caused by another party’s actions or negligence, the injured may be able to seek damages for his or her injuries. There are a number of laws that determine who may be held liable for a victim’s injuries, when the victim must press charges, and additional factors. This body of laws is known as motorcycle accident law. Although the specifics of the law vary state to state, there are aspects of the law that are similar in every state. These include:
Types of Injuries
The severity of a motorcycle accident injury depends on a number of factors, including the speed at which the motorcyclist was riding, the road and weather conditions at the time of the crash, and whether or not the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. Motorcycle accident injuries are typically catastrophic, including back, burn, spinal cord, and brain injury, and even motorcycle accident death (potentially considered a wrongful death).
Motorcycle Accident Compensation
When an injured motorcyclist can prove that another party is liable for his or her injuries, he or she may be able to obtain a motorcycle accident settlement. Depending on the circumstances of crash, the liable party can include the designer, manufacturer, or distributor of a defective automotive product or motorcycle part that caused the crash (per product liability law); the motorist with whom the motorcyclist collided; and even the victim himself.
Filing a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit
Filing a motorcycle accident lawsuit entails determining whether the injured has a case; gathering evidence; filing the proper paperwork within the state’s statute of limitations (time limit for filing suit); and additional steps. The process of filing a lawsuit can be complicated and overwhelming, and it is crucial that victims hire a skilled motorcycle accident attorney to assure that the claim is handled appropriately. A lawyer with experience handling motorcycle accident claims has the know-how necessary to navigate the pertinent laws, thereby increasing the chances of obtaining a positive case outcome.
Learn more about Rhode Island motorcycle accident law.
Contact Proner & Proner to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our motorcycle accident attorneys. Our law firm serves clients throughout Rhode Island.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics
The following motorcycle accident statistics reflect accident and injury trends in Rhode Island and throughout the nation since 1998*:
- In 1998, there were 2,294 motorcycle accident deaths and 49,000 motorcycle accident injuries in the U.S.
- In 2004, there were 10 motorcycle accident deaths in Rhode Island – 12 percent of the 83 motor vehicle deaths in the state that year.
- In 2005, there were 14 motorcycle accident fatalities – 16 percent of the state’s 87 motor vehicle fatalities that year.
- Of the 87 highway traffic fatalities in Rhode Island in 2005, 34 percent (39 deaths) involved driver impairment. Of these fatalities, 14 were motorcyclists – 57 percent of whom were helmeted, five of whom had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .01 or higher, and nine of whom had no BAC.
- In 2007, 25 percent of the motorcyclists killed were helmeted; 58 percent were riding while impaired; and 72 percent had a BAC of .01 or higher.
- Rhode Island is one of three states that mandate rider education for all riders; two states that do not offer rider education waivers for participants; and 21 that include motorcycles in the handling of highway engineering issues.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury in a motorcycle crash, you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Contact Proner & Proner to learn more about motorcycle accident statistics. Our attorneys serve clients throughout Rhode Island.
*Motorcycle accident statistic references: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and Governors Highway Safety Association websites.
We serve motorcycle accident victims throughout Rhode Island, including the following cities:
- Providence
- Warwick
- Cranston
- Pawtucket
- East Providence
- Woonsocket
- Coventry
- Cumberland
- North Providence
- West Warwick
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