A motorcycle collides with a passenger car, truck, or van in most motorcycle accidents. On the other hand, there are certain motorcycle accidents where only the motorcycle is involved. It may be challenging for the injured motorcycle rider to get financial compensation from the phantom driver following these types of collisions.
In addition to finding the liable party, the complications that follow might be too much for the motorcycle accident victim to handle. This is where a legal professional is helpful. The best motorcycle accident lawyers make sure that victims get compensated for all the losses and damages they have sustained.
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About No-Contact Motorcycle Accidents
A no-contact motorcycle accident occurs when a driver causes a collision without coming into contact with the motorcycle. This could happen if the phantom driver does anything thoughtless, irresponsible, or illegal that puts the motorcycle rider in danger of an accident and forces them to apply the brakes, pull off the road, lay down their motorcycle, or take other precautions to avoid colliding with the car.
Motorcycles are lightweight, compact vehicles that are prone to collisions, particularly when an uncontrollable circumstance pulls the rider off the road. If a motorist engages in any behavior that endangers motorcyclists, the rider might need to react quickly to avoid an accident.
For instance, a biker may be forced to turn off the road to prevent a collision if a car driver approaches them suddenly.
When there is no property damage to indicate that the other car was engaged, it might be challenging to determine who was at fault in a no-contact motorcycle collision. Alternatively, eyewitness accounts or surveillance footage may be used as proof.
Furthermore, since these incidents don’t make much noise or have much impact, many drivers are unaware that they’ve caused them.
So, what do you do if you’re involved in a no-contact motorcycle accident?
- Keep your cool and call the police to report the accident
- Collect as much information as you can, including photos of the crash site, the names and phone numbers of any witnesses, and your best recollection of the accident
- To file a claim, give your own insurance company a call as soon as you can
- Speak with a motorcycle accident lawyer before accepting a settlement to see whether you can file a claim against the negligent motorist
Understanding Negligence in a No-Contact Motorcycle Accident
Negligence is generally defined as the inability to take due care, to translate from “legalese” in a slightly simplified manner. If that negligence causes harm to another person, the careless party may be responsible for the injured party’s losses (including hospital expenses, lost property, emotional distress, and other accident-related consequences).
Lawyers refer to this threshold as the “reasonable person” test when defining negligence. Therefore, failure to take a particular action in a given situation would be considered carelessness if someone with common sense would have done so.
Alternatively, it would be considered negligent to conduct a particular activity if someone with common sense would not have done so.
You must consider every aspect of the individual’s behavior about the issue at hand to assess whether or not they acted negligently.
Final Thoughts
All drivers have to follow traffic laws, pay attention to their surroundings, and react appropriately to sudden emergencies to avoid all accidents, not just no-contact motorcycle accidents.
To avoid accidents, motorists and riders should maintain a constant state of alertness for objects and other variables on the road, including cars, pedestrians, traffic signals, debris, and inclement weather.
If, by any chance, you do get involved in an accident, it is important to seek legal assistance. With the right legal representation, victims can get just compensation and quickly get on the road to recovery.