Now that we’re several weeks into spring, most drivers in Virginia have gotten used to the presence of motorcycles on the road. But even though drivers are aware that motorcyclists may be sharing the road with them, they don’t always look out for them.
The reasons that drivers fail to see motorcyclists can range from simply not paying close enough attention to the road and their surroundings to being distracted and not paying attention, period. For example, drivers may fail to check their mirrors and drift into the paths of motorcyclists in adjacent lanes. Or they may be looking at their phones and not see stopped motorcyclists ahead of them.
Another common example of drivers crashing into motorcyclists is left-turn situations. When drivers are waiting to turn left, they may only be on the lookout for other passenger vehicles headed towards them. Motorcyclists can be more difficult to see, and they may not even take the time to determine if a motorcyclist is headed in their direction.
Drivers who pull out into the road in front of motorcyclists cause many serious crashes. In fact, left-turning drivers is one of the biggest risk factors that riders face in Virginia and throughout the U.S. When riders are injured by left-turning drivers, they can often get compensation from them or their insurers because it’s likely that they pulled out in front of them due to distraction or negligence.
At Skolrood Law Firm, our Roanoke motorcycle accident lawyers have successfully built and won many motorcycle accident claims, and we know that negligence plays a role in a large number of them. Contact our law firm today if you or someone you love was hurt in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault. We want to help you get maximum compensation.
