If you are out on your motorcycle just riding the Phoenix roads, you know that there is a real risk of an accident. Because of how the brain and eyes work together, it is easy to go unseen by drivers as you are on your motorcycle in traffic. Unfortunately, common knowledge of motorcycle safety is lacking out on most Amercian roadways, so making sure you do everything to avoid a collision is imperative. By creating healthy motorcycling habits, you can avoid unnecessary accidents and keep yourself safe when out on the roads. Here are a few things that you can do to stay safer on your motorcycle in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 

Motorcycle Safety Tips from an Arizona Attorney

• Dress bright and stand out! When you wear bright, reflective colors and all the proper safety gear, others will see you much more easily, and you are much less likely to be hit. The reflection of the bright colors, such as hot pink, neon yellow, bright orange, or lime green might catch the eye of a driver who otherwise wouldn’t have noticed you. Bright colors on your bike and helmet also help you stand out, too.
• Watch for those left turns. It can be hard to gauge someone else’s speed because of the way depth perception works. Sometimes a driver will make a left turn leaving the second driver with no time to decrease their speed. Watch for the signs and warnings of another driver who is going to make a turn so you can be prepared.
• Always watch your speed. It is easy to get a little too fast before you even realize it. Watch your speed when turning corners. Driving at a safe speed will allow better reaction time and give you the chance to make a different decision in the event something comes up.
• Watch when changing lanes. Vehicles have blind spots, so move through them in a hurry. Don’t spend a lot of time hanging out. Instead, move through the blind spots. Look in your rearview mirror, look behind you and signal when you plan to turn or change lanes. Taking just a few extra seconds to make sure it is safe can make a big difference in the outcome. Don’t risk it to save a minute’s time.
• Do not ride while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Drugs and alcohol impact your ability to operate a vehicle and also impede your reaction time. It just takes one time driving under the influence to end up in a terrible accident.
• Don’t zigzag when in traffic. Riding a motorcycle gives you the flexibility to drive through various cars that take up multiple lanes, and you sometimes might be overly confident and think you can zigzag through traffic safely, but that is not the case. Speeding through and zigzagging might not give others enough time to see you. Just one move into a blind spot or making a fast swerve into an area where a driver doesn’t see you can mean the difference in life and death.

Common Damages from Phoenix Motorcycle Accidents

When you are involved in a motorcycle accident in Phoenix, you can suffer severe damages. Your life can be changed forever. First off, motorcycle accidents can cause life-altering injuries, permanent scars and/or disfigurement, lead to permanent or long-term disabilities and even result in death. Just one motorcycle accident can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. So, your primary damage will be medical expenses. If you have medical expenses, you will be eligible to receive pain and suffering. Your Phoenix motorcycle accident injury attorney will be able to calculate those losses for you.

Your motorcycle will likely be destroyed in the accident. Your helmet, eyeglasses, clothing, and other personal property can be damaged or destroyed. Personal property damages are designed to repay you for replacing such property that is damaged or destroyed in a crash. While you are recovering from your injuries, you will most likely miss work. You will need to maintain accurate documentation that shows which hours and/or days you miss work so you can pursue lost wages. If your injuries impact you long-term, you might be able to get damages for future loss of earnings.

If you suffer permanent disabilities, you might be able to ask to be compensated for the loss of enjoyment of life. Your spouse and family might be able to sue for loss of consortium. Things such as future medical expenses and the loss or reduction of potential future earnings should also be considered. If your injuries are severe, you might need a full-time caregiver or personal nurse to help you in the years ahead, and that expense should be considered. As an experienced Phoenix personal injury attorney, Warnock MacKinlay Law can determine which damages you suffered and come up with an accurate figure for what would be a fair settlement for those damages. Nate always looks out for the best interests of his clients, so you can rest assured that he will aggressively pursue your Phoenix personal injury claim for your motorcycle accident.

Your Phoenix motorcycle accident injury attorney will carefully review the accident documentation and conduct a thorough investigation. He will determine what caused the accident and what lead up to the crash. Often, motorcycle collisions are avoidable. Negligent actions often contribute to the occurring damage, which means that the driver who caused the accident could have been drinking, distracted, or driving at a reckless speed. By proving the liability of the other driver, your lawyer will be much more successful pursuing your injury claim against the at-fault driver and his or her insurance company.

Consult with a Phoenix Attorney About Your Motorcycle Accident

Warnock MacKinlay Law represents clients on a contingency basis. That means he doesn’t get paid until you get either a settlement or judgment so you can be compensated for your injury claim. You don’t have to worry about any up front or out-of-pocket expenses. If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle crash in the Phoenix area, call Nate today at (602) 600-6427 to schedule a free case review. Remember, there are no fees unless we win!