From motorcyclists, one of the greatest risks that they face is when another driver turns left in front of them. This is one of the most common types of crashes that they can experience, and it often leads to severe injuries. It is one of the reasons that motorcyclists are 24 times as likely to pass away in car accidents as people in passenger cars.
The way that it happens is fairly simple. A motorcycle and a car will be heading in opposite directions on a two-lane road. The driver in the car will slow down to turn, hopefully putting on their blinker. They should wait for the motorcycle to pass by before they make the turn, but they fail to do so and they cut off the bike.
This puts the motorcyclist in a very dangerous position. For one thing, it happens quickly and unexpectedly, as the motorcyclist knows that they have the right of way and shouldn’t even have to slow down. For another thing, the motorcyclist has nowhere to go. If they swerve to the right, they’re moving in the same direction as the car that just turned and cut them off. But if they swerve to the left, they would intentionally be driving into oncoming traffic.
Why does it happen?
This type of accident often happens because of a lack of awareness from the driver. They just do not see the motorcycle, or perhaps they think that it’s farther away and that they have time to turn.
It could also happen if a driver is distracted. Maybe they’re looking down at the screen on their GPS device, which is telling them to make a left turn. They simply do it without thinking and without checking for passing traffic.
What options does the rider have?
But no matter why it happens, motorcyclists can suffer severe injuries when they collide with the side of the other vehicle or crash while trying to avoid that collision. In some cases, these injuries are fatal. But even motorcyclists who survive may have traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, road rash, broken bones and many other issues that lead to very expensive medical care. They need to know how they can seek financial compensation from the driver who caused the accident.