Colorado Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The official website for Colorado Tourism lists 10 idyllic locations to ride motorcycles in the Centennial State, including the Top of the Rockies Byway, Independence Pass, and Los Caminos Antiguos. While Colorado has plenty of scenic drives that are something to behold for motorcyclists, the fact remains that people who are riding these bikes are susceptible to extremely serious injuries when they are involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Such crashes in Colorado are resulting in an increasing number of fatalities in recent years. If you sustained severe injuries or your loved one was killed in a motorcycle accident, it is in your best interest to immediately contact Need an Injury Lawyer Colorado.
Types of Colorado Motorcycle Accidents
Several different forms of negligence by the drivers of other motor vehicles can directly cause motorcycle crashes. While every accident is different in terms of specific circumstances, some crashes share similar characteristics.
Some of the types of motorcycle accidents in Colorado frequently involve such causes as:
- Drunk Driving Accidents — Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs is a criminal offense in Colorado, and the state law was enacted specifically to deter people from causing crashes. Violations of state law often result in accidents and a criminal conviction can often be used as proof of a motorist’s negligence in a subsequent personal injury claim.
- Equipment Issues — Not all motorcycle accidents necessarily involve other vehicles. It is not uncommon for a motorcyclist to lose control of his or her bike because of a defectively manufactured or improperly installed part on his or her motorcycle.
- Lane Change Accidents — When motorcycles and passenger vehicles are traveling in the same direction, misjudgment of distance or simple driver impatience can lead to collisions that seriously hurt the motorcyclists.
- Left Turn Accidents — One of the most common kinds of collisions involves drivers of passenger vehicles turning left in front of oncoming motorcycles, leaving the motorcyclists powerless to avoid collisions and susceptible to devastating injuries.
- Open Door Accidents — Occupants of vehicles who swing open doors while exiting without first looking for oncoming traffic can also leave motorcyclists unable to avoid collisions that again significantly harm the people on the bikes.
- Rear-End Accidents — Many “passenger vehicle” rear-end collisions are referred to as “fender benders” and amount to little more than minimal property damage but when a “passenger vehicle” strikes a motorcycle from behind, it has the potential to throw the motorcyclist from his or her bike and cause severe injuries.
Colorado Motorcycle Accident Statistics
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reported that more than 100 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes each year between 2015 and 2017. This followed more than 10 years in which the number of fatalities never exceeded double-digits.
Whereas the 73 motorcyclists killed in 2002 represented only 9.8 percent of the total traffic fatalities that year, the 125 motorcycle deaths in 2016 more than doubled that percentage of total traffic deaths, accounting for 20.6 percent of all traffic fatalities.
Keep in mind that even if a motorcyclist is fortunate enough to survive a crash, he or she may still suffer injuries that are severe enough to require several months, years, or even a lifetime of medical care and rehabilitation. Such victims may not be able to return to their jobs, and some are permanently incapable of ever being able to work again at all.
Find a Personal Injury Attorney in Colorado for Motorcycle Accidents
Did you suffer serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a motorcycle accident in Colorado caused by another party’s negligence? Contact Need an Injury Lawyer Colorado right now to receive a free, no obligation consultation that will allow our attorneys to provide a complete evaluation of your case.
Our firm represents individuals who have been injured in crashes in Fort Collins, Arvada, Denver, Aurora, Thornton, Westminster, Lakewood, Colorado Springs, and other surrounding areas of the Centennial State. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will not pay us anything if you do not receive a financial award.