As a motorcyclist in Pennsylvania, you probably have a fairly good grasp on the risks that you face. You know that it is simply more dangerous to ride a motorcycle. No matter how safe you are, you’re always at the mercy of other drivers. They make plenty of mistakes and cause fatal crashes every day, while other drivers cause accidents resulting in serious injuries.
You can’t control these drivers, but understanding the types of mistakes they tend to make can help you avoid the accidents. As such, you need to know about the most common motorcycle accident in Pennsylvania and across the country.
The left turn accident
This type of infamous accident is known as a left turn accident. This does not return refer to a time when the motorcyclist is turning left, but when a vehicle in front of that bike is making the left turn.
The issue is that drivers will often cut motorcycles off. They will turn when there is not space for them to complete the turn before the motorcycle arrives. The motorcyclist can’t swerve to the right, because the vehicle is driving in that direction as it crosses in front of them. He or she can’t swerve to the left because that would be into oncoming traffic. As a result, this is a nearly unavoidable crash.
Why does it happen?
This often happens simply because drivers don’t see the motorcycles or they inaccurately judge how far away the bikes are. Some drivers get so used to looking for cars and trucks that they’re not looking for motorcycles at all. Others do look, but the motorcycles are hidden behind other vehicles. Still others believe they have space to turn because the small size of a motorcycle makes it look like it is further away than it really is.
For all these reasons and more, left turn accidents are going to continue to happen. If you suffer serious injuries or lose a loved one in such a crash, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.