You’re riding your motorcycle home after a long day of work. The road appears clear in front of you, except for one pickup truck that is waiting to make a left turn. You’re close enough that you expect them to wait for your bike to go by before they turn.
But then they suddenly begin turning when there’s not nearly enough space for you to stop. You hit the brakes or even try to lay the bike down. You don’t want to swerve to your left, as that would take you into oncoming traffic lanes. But for all of your efforts, your motorcycle ends up hitting the side of the pickup truck as it turns and you suffer serious injuries.
The most common accident
The above is a hypothetical example of how these accidents take place. But the truth is that these are perhaps the most common accidents motorcyclists experience. Experts note that riders need to be very vigilant and understand the risks of drivers turning left in front of them.
The problem is that, even in a situation where you understand the risks that you’re going to face, you may not be able to avoid it. As noted above, you can’t swerve to the left. You may be able to try to swerve to the right, but the pickup truck will theoretically be driving to your right, so that’s not even going to guarantee that you don’t get involved in the accident. Laying the bike down may work, but you can definitely still get injured when you do so.
If a driver makes a mistake like this and you are significantly injured, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
