Even if you did not cause a motorcycle accident that left you injured or traumatized, trying to ride again after the crash can be a herculean task for many riders.
And our Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer knows it better than anyone else, because he keeps in touch with victims even after they have successfully recovered damages.
Why riding a motorcycle in California is so dangerous
There is no denying that riding a motorcycle can be convenient for commuting to and from work just as it can be enjoyable and amusing. Regardless of whether you treat your bike as your regular means of transportation or take it for a ride only for the sake of excitement and fun, you are equally at risk of getting into a motorcycle crash.
And that’s not because motorcyclists are reckless thrill-seekers who disregard traffic rules and put the lives of other motorists and pedestrians at risk by performing various dangerous maneuvers on the road. That’s because riding a bike can be dangerous in itself.
“Let’s do a quick fact check here: in the vast majority of motorcycle accident cases, the biker is not at-fault for causing the crash,” says our motorcycle accident lawyer Los Angeles from Compass Law Group, P.C. But regardless of fault, most motorcyclists find it rather difficult to get back on the road after a motorcycle crash.
Regardless of fault, getting back on your motorcycle will be hard
However, in no way does it mean that motorcycle riders are never responsible for crashes. In fact, a fair percentage of motorcycle crashes are caused by reckless motorcyclists who take a risk and lose it big. But in the vast majority of cases, motorcycle accidents are caused due to the fault of another motorist. More often than not, this “another motorist” is the driver of a passenger car.
Passenger cars are bigger than motorcycles and have more blind spots. Unfortunately, many car drivers in Los Angeles and all across California fail to check their surroundings prior to changing lanes, making turns, or braking. Also, some car drivers deliberately cut off or rear-end motorcycles out of “revenge” for lane-splitting (unlike in most other states, motorcycle riders in California are allowed to ride between lanes or rows of slow moving or stopped traffic).
Why riding a motorcycle after a crash is so difficult
But why is it so difficult to ride a motorcycle again after being injured or traumatized in a motorcycle accident? Being in a motorcycle crash can mess with your psychological and emotional wellbeing. In fact, many motorcyclists who have been involved in a crash find themselves afraid to ride a bike again.
The extent of the negative impact on your emotional and psychological health after a motorcycle accident depends on fault, severity of injuries, number of parties involved, and many other factors. For many bikers, it takes months to get their thoughts in order and get back on the road.
One of the reasons why motorcyclists are unable to ride immediately after a motorcycle accident include such post-accident symptoms as:
- Flashbacks;
- Nightmares;
- Anxiety;
- Stress;
- Depression; and
- And constant thoughts about what you could have done differently.
The fear of getting back on the road after a motorcycle accident can be aggravated by the fact that your personal injury case was settled unfairly, you received no compensation whatsoever, or the blame was shifted onto you (when you were clearly not at fault).
To prevent this from happening, it is best to be represented by a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney.
