Intersection Accidents Involving Motorcycles

In a study conducted by the USC Traffic Safety Center for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Hurt Report, led by Professor Hurt studied 900 motorcycle accidents. During the course of that study, he discovered that the most common motorcycle accidents occurred at intersections, and in 66% of those cases the other driver violated the motorcyclist's right of way. As a motorcyclist, it is vital that you be extremely attentive while traversing intersections. Be prepared to brake, or evade a motorist who isn't paying attention to you. The experienced New Hampshire motorcycle accident attorneys of Peter Thompson & Associates can develop a strong case on your behalf in the event that you sustain personal injuries in an intersection accident.

If you are a motorcyclist who has been involved in an intersection accident in New Hampshire, your life may never be the same. Several serious physical injuries such as quadriplegia, paraplegia, paralysis, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries are possible. Compensatory damages, including amounts for medical expenses, vocational rehabilitation, property damages, pain and suffering along with lost wages can be recovered on your behalf. You may also be able to recover the cost of any household assistance and any loss of future earning capacity.

Occasionally, intersection accidents are the fault of multiple parties. Where there are two or more parties responsible for causing your injuries (the defendants), all defendants are generally “jointly and severally liable.” Practically speaking, what that means is if there are two (or more) defendants responsible for your injuries, it is possible to recover from one of the defendants in an amount exceeding their share of the damage you have suffered if the other defendant is unable to pay their own share (due to lack of insurance coverage, for example), despite the fact that the other defendant was more at fault. However, it is only possible to collect from a defendant more than their share of damages you have suffered if they are at least 50 percent at fault for the accident.

Conversely, one or more defendants may allege that you (the plaintiff) is fully, or partially responsible for an intersection accident as well. Only in cases where you are more at fault than the defendant (or the combined fault of multiple defendants) would you be prevented by New Hampshire law from obtaining damages for your injuries. If you are are less than 50% at fault, your recovery would only be reduced by the degree of your fault.

In cases where fault is at issue, we use trained, highly-experienced accident reconstruction experts to determine the cause of an accident based on factors such as skid marks, eyewitness testimony, and the degree of damage to the vehicles involved. The gathered evidence can then be utilized at trial to discredit the claims of the defendant that you were primarily—or even partially—at fault.

If you are a motorcyclist who has been injured in an intersection collision, you should retain legal representation from the experienced New Hampshire motorcycle accident lawyers at Peter Thompson & Associates to assist you in recovering the level of compensation you deserve. We will tenaciously strive to determine what caused the accident, and assure that all responsible parties are joined within the lawsuit. Contact us at 800.804.2004 or via our online form for your free consultation today.