Tuskegee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Tuskegee is a city in Macon County that was incorporated in 1843. It’s the largest city in Macon County, located in the mid-eastern portion of the state.
The name Tuskegee was originally a Creek Indian settlement found at the site that mean “warriors.” In the 1830s, most of the Native Americans were moved to the southwestern United States to make way for white settlers.
The population of Tuskegee is primarily African American with a population of just short of 10,000 residents. The city was the home to George Washington Carver, an agricultural scientist, Rosa Louis Parks, a civil rights activist in the 1950s, singer Lionel Richie, and news anchor Robin Roberts.
There are many roadways to carry motorcycle traffic into and out of the city including motorcycles. U.S. Route 29 passes through Tuskegee as does U.S. Route 80. Going north of town is State Route 81 which intersects with Interstate 85.
While the open road may boost your endorphin levels, unfortunately, a motorcyclist faces many more risks than those inside a passenger vehicle.
Head trauma, brain injury, broken bones, road rash, and the loss of an appendage are all common in a Tuskegee motorcycle accident.
Motorcycle Accidents in Alabama
A motorcyclist is 29 times more likely to die in an accident than those in a car, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the state’s interstate system is responsible for 11 percent of fatalities.
Nationally, there were 5,579 motorcyclists who died in crashes in 2020, which is an 11 percent increase from the year before. We find that motorcyclist fatalities, for ages 50 and older increased from 3 percent in 1975 to 36 percent of riders in 2020. Now that age group represents the highest age for motorcycle deaths nationally.
Alabama finds itself the 10th deadliest state for motorcycle fatalities according to a 2019 study. Among the 5,014 fatalities in 2019, 93 of those happened in Alabama. That number dropped in 2020 to 78 motorcycle-related fatalities in Alabama.
Causes of Tuskegee Motorcycle Fatalities
According to Drive Safe Alabama, 62% of the fatal motorcycle accidents in the state in 2020 were caused by the actions of the motorcyclist.
While most riders take their responsibilities seriously, keep their bikes in top shape, and take safe rider courses, it is a few motorcyclists who are responsible for reckless and negligent driving that puts the public in danger.
Riders have the same rights and responsibilities on the road so they can share roadways safely with the public. But a motorcyclist is more exposed than someone riding in a steel cage.
With no windshield, or side protection panels, a collision with another vehicle is a direct hit, pitting flesh with a high-speed metal vehicle. It is no mystery that a motorcycle-related accident leaves devastating injuries to the biker.
- Helmets – One of the reasons southern states in general may have higher motorcycle fatalities is those riders are less likely to wear helmets. The QuoteWizard study, a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. found that 4.8% more riders declined to wear a helmet from 2019 to 2020.
Other southern states with high motorcycle fatality numbers are Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Arizona, particularly in the warmer months.
- Alcohol – Alcohol consumption was involved in a large number of motorcycle-related accidents. The same study found that 82.2% of motorcycle-related deaths involved alcohol. The Alabama Department of Transportation found that 42% of motorcyclists who died in 2019 were alcohol-impaired and those riding at night were almost three times more likely to be alcohol-impaired than those during the day. The national average for alcohol-impaired motorcyclists in 2020 was 27 percent.
- Motorists – Other causes of crashes with motorcycles might be colliding with debris or an animal on the road and the failure of a motorist to see you. Motorists must be mindful of watching for motorcycles in their blind spots. Motorcyclists need to leave space between vehicles so they can react quickly to changing road conditions, stops, and swerves.
A very common cause of motorcycle accidents occurs when the driver of a much larger vehicle turns left in front of a motorcycle. The car needs to yield the right of way to an oncoming motorcycle. Without yielding the right of way, the car driver can be cited with significant penalties and can cause a serious injury to the motorcyclist
Additionally, the motorcycle itself, if not kept in top condition can blow a tire sending the rider propelling through the air.
Your Tuskegee Motorcycle Lawyer
We certainly hope you have not experienced a tragic, life-changing collision involving a motorcycle. Severe injuries and permanent disabilities often result as well as death.
Traumatic brain injury often happens in a motorcycle crash when a driver is thrown from the motorcycle. Head trauma, fractures, arm and leg breaks, and spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis and permanent brain injury, and cognitive impairment.
Regardless, your loved one may not be able to return to work, or if he can, it might be at a greatly reduced capacity. There may be an ongoing need for medical care and therapy. All of this will be costly at a time when lost wages contribute to your situation.
According to national statistics, the average cost of a motorcycle injury is $211,000 and most of the cost is borne by private insurers.
Experienced motorcycle accident attorney Chip Nix understands this is a very stressful time and not when you want to negotiate with the insurance company. He is also well aware that the insurer on the other side will want to minimize your injuries and blame you for the accident.
Under the Alabama of contributory negligence, you can lose your right to compensation if you contributed, even as little as 1%, to the accident.
The insurer will fight to keep their costs down and compensate the injured or the estate of the deceased as little as possible.
Punitive damages may be awarded under Alabama law only in wrongful death cases and we can prove the other side acted with malice and deliberate recklessness.
The stakes are high. This is not the time to go it alone.
Whether your motorcycle accident occurred in Tuskegee, Montgomery, Dothan, or Birmingham, Chip Nix, Attorney at Law will determine how the motorcycle accident happened and the most strategic avenue to obtain compensation for your losses, pain, suffering, and lost loved ones.
Sources:
Stanford Health Policy
https://healthpolicy.fsi.stanford.edu/news/researchers-and-students-run-pilot-project-oakland-test-whether-tuskegee-syphilis-trial-last
Money Geek Motorcycle crashes
https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/motorcycle/analysis/accidents-and-deaths/
IIHS
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/motorcycles-and-atvs
NHTSA
https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycles
Montgomery Independent
https://www.montgomeryindependent.com/news/study-finds-alabama-is-the-10th-deadliest-state-for-motorcycle-riders/article_63f817de-01f5-11ec-89bd-abd5098df1f6.html
