A fatal motorcycle accident that occurred in Atlanta last week is being blamed by police on drunk driving and the motorist's failure to yield to the motorcycle.
The accident occurred last week, when an Atlanta motorcyclist struck a car that turned in front of him. The motorcyclist suffered critical injuries, and died. The driver of the car has been arrested and charged. Police are blaming the motorist's failure to yield to the motorcyclist as a major factor in the accident. Additionally, the motorist was also allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Some of the biggest threats to motorcyclists come from negligent or careless motorists. Failure to yield right of way to a motorcyclist is one of the biggest factors in motorcycle accidents, contributing to more accidents every year than intoxicated or distracted drivers. Drivers who fail to yield right-of-way may be doing so out of ignorance or negligence, but most times, these accidents occur because the motorist was not paying enough attention while driving.
Even a moderate-impact motorcycle accident can end with serious injuries for the motorcyclist. Motorcyclists may be at risk of a range of injuries from broken limbs and fractures, to more serious injuries, like spinal and brain injuries. What makes the situation worse for motorcyclists is that they have little protection, cushioning them from serious or fatal injuries. A helmet can substantially reduce the risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury, but cannot absolutely guarantee a motorcyclist's safety. Most often, the kind of serious injuries that I come across as an Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer leave a person with life altering injuries.