Indiana has a thriving and robust motorcycle community. From organized clubs to independent riders, you can find motorcycle enthusiasts in almost every corner of the state. But motorcyclists can also take a lot of heat. People often vilify them or stereotype them as dangerous risk-takers. Some motorists treat them like second-class drivers on the road by ignoring their right to share the road and, in turn, endangering their health and safety.
If you have been hurt by a negligent motorist while riding a motorcycle in Indiana, you have a right to pursue just compensation. Don’t let anyone treat you like a second-class citizen because of your choice to ride on two wheels instead of four. Call Truitt Law Offices today. We have a dedicated team of motorcycle accident lawyers who will fight for the compensation you deserve.
Here, to put your motorcycle accident in perspective, we look at the following Indiana motorcycle accident statistics.
Fatal Motorcycle Accidents Are on the Rise
According to the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, 147 motorcyclists were killed in Indiana in 2017 alone. As the Institute also reports, this fatality total marks a demonstrable increase from 2016. In fact, it’s a 47 percent increase in just a single year.
Even though fatal motorcycle crashes generally declined for a number of years, 2017 demonstrated a remarkable jump in deaths. It is not fully known why this spike occurred. However, it could be due to increased ridership as the economy has grown, more texting by drivers on the road or a more relaxed view toward motorcycles on the road. In reality, several factors have likely caused the rise.
Older Riders Face High Risk of Serious Accidents
Riders between the ages of 55 and 64 had the highest number of fatal accidents in Indiana. Many different factors may explain the high fatality rate. They include:
- Less helmet use – Only those under 18 years of age are legally required to wear a helmet in Indiana. As riders age, they may feel more confident in their skills and choose not to wear a helmet. When they do so, they expose themselves to an increased risk of suffering serious and potentially fatal brain injury.
- Confidence – As riders get older and gain more experience, they may take more chances and fail to keep a close watch for dangerous drivers around them. This doesn’t excuse the negligent drivers who cause injuries, but it may partly explain why older riders suffer a high rate of fatal injuries.
- Reaction times – While no one wants to admit that age plays a factor, many of us just lose some of our youthful reaction times, long-range vision and quick muscle reactions with age.
- General health – A younger rider may heal faster and be in better general health, increasing the rider’s chance of surviving a serious crash. An older rider may have other health complications that make their chances of survival lower.
Motorcycle Accidents Compared to Car Accidents
Although motorcycles are involved in a relatively small percentage of all collisions in the state (less than about two percent), they end up being involved in about 16 percent of all traffic fatalities. This strongly suggests that motorcycle injuries are simply more serious and tend to result in catastrophic injuries for the riders and passengers.
Most Dangerous Roads to Ride on in Indiana
Recently, the Northwest Indiana Times reported on the top ten most deadly roads in Indiana. Notably, these roads made the list:
- U.S. 12
- U.S. 421, Indiana 55 and Indiana 49
- Interstate 55
- Indiana 49
- Indiana 53 (Broadway)
- U.S. 35
- Interstate 65
- Indiana 2
- U.S. 41
- U.S. 30
- U.S. 20
- Interstate 80/94/90 corridor.
While most of these dangerous roads cut through Porter and Lake Counties to our west, plenty of dangerous roads and intersections can be found in Fort Wayne, Huntington and Indianapolis as well. In fact, as highway construction projects ramp up in the spring and summer months, it’s likely that roads will be treacherous for motorcyclists all over the state.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Indiana
Many motorcycle crashes are caused by nothing more than carelessness and inattention. Here are just a few common examples of reasons that people suffer serious injuries or death in motorcycle crashes in Indiana:
- Texting and driving – Negligent drivers are still out there texting, surfing the Internet and using hand-held devices while driving. They know it is dangerous, but they do it anyway.
- Drunk drivers – Still a leading cause of fatal collisions nationwide, drunk and drug-impaired drivers claim thousands of innocent lives each year.
- Inattentional blindness – This is a strange and bewildering concept, but it definitely exists. It happens when drivers look right at a motorcycle but somehow don’t recall seeing it. It happens because drivers just aren’t used to looking for smaller vehicles like motorcycles.
- Breaking the rules – Some drivers choose to disobey traffic laws that are in place to protect all of us, including motorcyclists. When drivers speed, race, run red lights, blow through intersections or choose to drive aggressively, they put everyone in great peril.
Motorcyclists and their passengers do not have the same protections the rest of the motoring public enjoy. They have no side walls, doors, bumpers, seatbelts or airbags to cushion the impact. A crash can turn fatal in an instant.
Get Legal Help From an Experienced Indiana Motorcycle Accident Law Firm, Today!
If you or a loved one have been involved in a motorcycle crash in Indiana, count on Truitt Law Offices to help you pursue just compensation. Our attorneys have considerable experience with these accidents. Our lead attorney, Richard Truitt has spent more than 40 years fighting for the rights of injured people, including Indiana motorcyclists. If you are looking for dependable and highly-skilled legal representation, look no further.
With offices in Indianapolis, Huntington, and Fort Wayne, we are here when you need us most. We never take a fee unless we recover compensation for you, and our consultations are always free. Contact us today to learn more in a consultation through our office in Fort Wayne, Huntington or Indianapolis.
