Rear End Motorcycle Accidents

Rear end collisions are one of the most common types of accidents. Whether it’s because a driver is following too close, driving too fast, or simply not paying attention, a rear end accident can happen in the blink of an eye.

The severity of these types of accidents can vary. Sometimes a car is rear ended at low speeds. While a low speed collision can certainly cause significant injury and damage, it will usually cause minor damage to your car. If you are injured, you will most likely get better. Of course, the higher the speed, the more likely it is that there will be significant damage and serious injury.

If a motorcycle is struck from behind, all bets are off. Motorcycles do not offer the same protection that even a compact sedan would. A biker is much more exposed to potential injury, even when the collision happens at relatively low speed. If a biker is rear ended at a high speed, the biker’s risk for serious injury goes up exponentially.

Motorcyclists face the same risks as other drivers when it comes to rear end accidents. Drivers speed, they follow too close, and they drive distracted. However, motorcycles bring additional complications.

Motorcycles can stop much more quickly than a car, truck, or suv. It doesn’t take a physicist to know that the heavier a vehicle is, the longer it takes to stop. That’s the concept of inertia that we all learned in high school and then quickly forgot. This applies to cars and motorcycles. A 400 pound motorcycle will likely be able to stop quicker than a 3,000 pound car or a 5,000 pound truck.

It’s for this reason that the Massachusetts Driver’s manual suggests that drivers give more space when following a motorcycle than with following a car. When following a car, drivers should practice the 3-second rule, which means you should be traveling 3 seconds behind the car in front. When following a motorcycle, it turns into a 4-second rule.

When motorcycles are rear ended, the injuries are often serious, if not catastrophic. Motorcycles do not have the same safety features as cars. This leaves bikers much more exposed to the negligence of other drivers. Even a collision at slow speeds can cause serious and permanent damage. Some of the injuries that we often see include:

• Fatal Motorcycle Accidents
• Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Broken Bones, including ribs, arms, hips, and legs
• Spinal Injuries, including disc injuries
• Burn Injuries
• Torn ligaments, including those in the knee, ankle and shoulder

These are all serious injuries that involve long recoveries. For some, these injuries will leave permanent limitations and permanent scars.

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need an experienced lawyer to get you the compensation you deserve.

Whether your injury happened in a high speed or low speed collision, the insurance company will try to take advantage of you. At high speeds, insurers try to say that it was your fault, even if you weren’t speeding. At low speeds, insurance companies question whether you’re actually injured, even if the injuries are obvious.

At Marcotte Law Firm, we use our decades of experience to fight the insurance companies. If you’ve been injured in a rear end motorcycle accident, call the experienced attorneys at Marcotte Law Firm for a free consultation.