Anyone who has spent any time on a motorcycle should automatically have high standards for road safety. It is clear that there is a great deal of freedom from riding, but the vulnerability is also obvious.
People do what they can to use motorcycles safely. They ride in groups, maintain a good distance from other vehicles — and the list goes on. However, no amount of preparation or caution could protect a biker from the negligent or malicious actions of someone operating a much larger vehicle at high speeds.
The fact is that safety should be everybody’s first priority. In any case, the responsibility to avoid auto accidents should certainly not rest on the shoulders of those most at risk of injury. In fact, motorcycle collisions can result in tragedy, even when experienced riders such as members of the Hells Angels are involved.
Danger and risk are part of life on the road. Some understand and accept this, while others may not realize the power of the forces involved. Luckily for those injured, that ignorance does not and should not form a valid defense to claims of reckless, distracted or impaired driving in the state of California.
Stripped of all of the legal terminology and formal procedure, the civil courts are all about justice. In terms of motorcycle collisions, the principles are simple:
- Everybody deserves equal consideration
- Parties responsible for injuries should pay damages
- The facts matter
While this description is obviously an oversimplification, it is important to realize the impartiality of the law. Every motorist in every situation deserves the same chance at compensation for medical bills, lost wages, property damage and noneconomic damages. That privilege extends to tech workers operating Vespas in downtown San Francisco just as much as it does to club members riding Harley-Davidsons down San Bernardino highways.
