Even during the winter months, motorcycling remains popular in Phoenix with thousands of riders on two wheels hitting the road regularly. In fact, the low amount of annual rainfall and warm temperatures make Phoenix one of the more popular cities to ride a motorcycle in the nation. With the large number of riders unfortunately comes a large number of motorcycle crashes and accidents. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were over 3,000 motorcycle accidents in 2011 with over 2,500 of those ending in injuries for one or more riders.
When a motorcycle accident occurs, the odds of a rider being injured are very high. This is due to many factors including the lack of protection surrounding a rider from the road, the potentially large size and fast speed of another vehicle that may hit a biker, and the potential for multiple impacts experienced by a rider, generally with the initial contact from another vehicle and then again as a biker strikes the ground. When a motorcycle accident occurs and leaves a rider injured, though, that rider may be entitled to financial compensation from the at-fault driver; a discussion with an injury lawyer can help victims understand whether they have a valid claim.
Some accidents are easy to determine who is at fault and what events led to a crash, but in other cases, these facts can be difficult to uncover or understand. Avondale police officers are dealing with a complicated crash right now that occurred on Monday morning between two motorcycles. The accident was severe and left one rider dead and a second with critical injuries.
The crash occurred in the area of 107th Avenue and Van Buren in Avondale. It is not yet clear whether the riders were traveling in the same direction or against one another when the two bikes collided. The force of the collision resulted in one of the riders being pronounced dead at the scene while emergency crews transported the second rider to an area hospital for examination and treatment of injuries. The condition of the second driver, originally described as critical, is not currently known.
The investigation into this collision is ongoing and it may be some time before police determine if one or both of the riders bear some portion of responsibility for the crash. If the accident was the fault of one of the motorcyclists, though, the other or the family of the deceased rider may be entitled to bring a claim for damages against the responsible driver. The claim can help compensate a victim or a victim’s family for medical expenses incurred, pain and suffering, lost wages, or even a loss of companionship that occurred due to the accident.
If you have been injured in an accident while riding a motorcycle, call the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us provide you with a free, no obligation telephone consultation. We have a lawyer standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call whenever you need answers. Call us at (855) PHX-LAWYER or locally at (602) 819-5191 and let us help you now.
Prior Blog Entry:
3-Year-Old in Crosswalk Hit and Killed by Impaired Driver, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published December 9, 2013.
Resource:
1 dead, another critically injured after two motorcycles collide, Fox 10 News, published December 9, 2013.