Our Sebring motorcycle accident attorneys have been talking about the risks associated with summer riding in Florida.
Did you know that most motorcycle accidents happen in the month of March, April and May? This is because that’s in the middle of Spring Break and the summer riding season. We’re in the middle of Spring Break and that summer riding season is right around the corner. Although we have a large amount of riders in the state throughout the year, these two riding periods are extremely dangerous on our roadways and we want to talk about the risks before it’s too late.
Let’s continue on in this discussion.
According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, about a third of motorcycle fatalities involved a drunk motorcyclist in 2008. Alcohol-impaired motorcyclists accounted for more than 40 percent of motorcycle accidents in Sebring and elsewhere. This wasn’t just a problem in Florida during this time. Fatal motorcycle accidents involving alcohol throughout the nation in 2008 saw an increase as well.
Motorcycle riders are at higher risks for death in the event of an accident than the occupants of passenger vehicles and trucks. Nearly 30 percent of the traffic accident fatalities in which alcohol was a factor 2009 were of motorcyclists. Less than 25 percent were the occupants of passenger cars. Less than 25 percent were of light trucks and the last 2 percent were for large trucks.
As we said, most motorcycle accidents happen during the months of March, April and May. There are also specific days of the week and times of the day that these accidents are more likely to happen. As a matter of fact, nearly 45 percent of fatal motorcycle accidents happen on weekends.
In 2009, the median for hospital charges resulting from acute care hospital for a nonfatal motorcycle accident totaled nearly $54,000. Emergency rooms were costly, too.
Believe it or not, nearly half of all hospitalizations and E.R. visits are not covered by commercial insurance. Roughly 30 percent of these bills were paid directly by the victim’s personal funds or were paid by their personal insurance.
As you know, motorcycle accidents can be some of the most devastating and catastrophic crashes we see on our roadways. Injuries are oftentimes severe, if not deadly. From 2007 to 2009, nearly a third of all motorcyclist deaths were the result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 35 percent resulted in injuries to multiple body regions, about 30 percent resulted in injuries to unspecified body regions and less than 10 percent resulted with injuries to the thorax.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, has spent four decades fighting for the rights of motorcycle riders throughout South Florida, including Sebring, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and elsewhere. If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident in South Florida, call to set up a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. 1-800-283-2900.
More Blog Entries:
Fort Myers Motorcyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident with SUV, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, February 28, 2012
Antilock Brakes: Preventing Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Myers and Elsewhere, IIHS Says, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, November 17, 2011