Alcohol Related Motorcycle Accident

Despite drunk driving awareness campaigns and stricter law enforcement efforts in Louisiana, alcohol related motorcycle accidents continue to cause serious injury and claim innocent lives. If a family member or loved one was harmed or lost their life in such a crash, you understand the devastating consequences at hand. If the victim was the sole breadwinner, the emotional and financial repercussions are especially debilitating, and have the potential to upend your life and that of your children’s.

Nearly 35 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States are attributed to drunk driving, reports the CDC. People who drive while intoxicated put all motorists at risk, but perhaps none more than motorcyclists who are at increased risk for suffering catastrophic injury or death in the event of a collision.

If your life, health and happiness have been undermined by the poor judgment of a drunk driver, you have the right to demand justice and hold negligent parties accountable. Bart Bernard is a highly experienced Louisiana motorcycle accident lawyer who will fight tirelessly to ensure his clients are fairly compensated for the dangerous behavior of others. In the wake of any type of alcohol related motorcycle accident, you need a skillful legal advocate who won’t back down until justice is served. Attorney Bart Bernard leverages ample experience handling personal injury and wrongful death claims stemming from motorcycle accidents. While litigation may never bring back a loved one or erase your emotional anguish, it can recover money needed to cover hospital bills, lost income and other damages that frequently arise from a motorcycle accident.

Despite traffic rules implemented across the United States, motorcyclists often find themselves fighting for their fair share of the road, notwithstanding the dangers presented by drunk drivers. Given the lack of visibility that bikers have in the eyes of passenger vehicle drivers, motorcyclists are easy targets for accidents. Motorcycles are also less stable than cars, and the lack of protection from an enclosed vehicle equates to greater chances of suffering grave, life-threatening injuries.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, alcohol use is a common cause of both fatal and non-fatal motorcycle accidents. In 2015, motorcycle accident deaths accounted for 13 percent of all crash fatalities, and 28 percent of fatally injured bikers had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit (.08).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that motorcycle crash fatalities have increased 8.3 percent from 2014. Of the total number of fatally injured motorcycle drivers, 1,798 were killed in single-vehicle crashes and 2,617 were killed in multiple-vehicle accidents. In those alcohol related motorcycle accidents, intoxication was most prevalent among those aged 25 to 34.

Motorcycle riders are particularly vulnerable to sustaining life-threatening harm during an accident, even with the benefit of a safety helmet and protective leather gear. Road rash, back and neck injuries, broken bones, contusions, paralysis, lacerations, internal bleeding, spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injury are not uncommon in motorcycle crashes caused by alcohol impaired or negligent drivers.

Fortunately, victims of DUI motorcycle accidents have the law on their side, and can demand compensation to account for property damage, medical costs, diminished earning capacity, permanent disability, pain and suffering and other losses. The surest route to safeguarding your right to just compensation is aligning yourself with a results-oriented personal injury lawyer with proven case results.

Attorney Bart Bernard is a Lafayette, Louisiana native, who has dedicated his legal practice to protecting the rights of accident victims and their families. His number one priority is making sure that motorcycle accident victims recover the highest amount of compensation possible. A large settlement or jury verdict can provide the financial resources to help families recover and move forward with their lives.

When someone’s drunk driving has diminished your quality of life, your health and your well-being, we will fight to secure the compensation you need and deserve. If your loved one was the victim of a motorcycle accident caused by an impaired driver, contact the Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers in Lafayette or Baton Rouge for a free case evaluation. Our team provides compassionate and dedicated representation and knows how to handle unscrupulous insurance companies. Because Louisiana Statute of Limitations place a one-year time limit on filing suit, it’s important to start the legal process right away.

1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Motorcycles and Alcohol Involvement http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/motorcycles/fatalityfacts/motorcycles#Alcohol-involvement
2. Insurance Information Institute, Motorcycle Crashes http://www.iii.org/issue-update/motorcycle-crashes
3. RideApart, Motorcycle Safety https://rideapart.com/articles/what-the-latest-nhtsa-fatality-statistics-reveal-about-motorcycle-safety

Last modified: March 03, 2017