How to Prevent a Blind Spot Motorcycle Accident
Summer is prime motorcycle season in the Pacific Northwest and that means more motorcycles interacting with trucks and cars on the roads. When motorcycle accidents happen between a car or truck and a motorcycle, motorcycle riders are much more vulnerable to injury and death because they don’t have the same type of protection. Blind spots are especially dangerous for motorcyclists because motorcycles are smaller and harder to see than passenger cars. When a passenger car or truck driver cannot see a motorcycle in their blind spot they may move into the space and cause a serious crash.
Contact a motorcycle accident attorney
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a blind spot motorcycle accident, contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in your area. The motorcycle crash attorney can review your accident and injuries and discuss your legal rights. They may be able to help you recover damages – financial compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering and more.
What is a blind spot?
A blind spot is an area around a vehicle that the driver cannot see directly. The larger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spots. Blind spots can be in several areas including spots hidden because of a vehicle’s bodywork, window pillars or head restraints, the spot between what a driver can see while looking straight forward and what they can see in the rearview mirror and what a driver can’t see on either side of their vehicle based on the angle of their side-view mirrors.
How to prevent a blind spot motorcycle accident
Passenger car and truck drivers can do their part to prevent blind spot motorcycle accidents by:
- Shoulder checking before changing lanes
- Always using the blinker before changing lanes or turning
- Adjusting the rearview mirror so the entire back window can be seen
- Adjusting the sideview mirrors so the driver can see the left and right rear of the vehicle
Motorcyclists can do their part to prevent blind spot motorcycle accidents by:
- Avoiding riding in blind spots; always ride in front or behind a vehicle, rather than to the side.
- Driving defensively by paying attention to the movements of drivers all around you, anticipating their next moves and leaving at least 20 feet between you and the vehicle in front of you.
- Wearing protective gear including a helmet, closed toed shoes and full coverage clothing.
- Always using the blinker when changing lanes or turning
- Keeping the headlights on at all times
- Passing vehicles quickly to be in the blind spot for as short a time as possible
Seek the help of a motorcycle accident lawyer
If you have lost a loved one or been injured through no fault of your own, you have enough on your plate. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the justice and fair compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring, tireless and experienced personal injury attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County and surrounding areas since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
