Woman Hospitalized After Garfield Motorcycle Crash
Recently, medics were called to Garfield, east of Austin-Bergstrom Airport, to treat a woman who had sustained injuries in a motorcycle crash. She was taken to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center with injuries that were characterized as serious, but not life-threatening. These types of accidents are quite common, and while the woman luckily escaped life-threatening injuries, she may still face long-term recuperation and even possibly permanent disability. If you have been involved in a motorcycle crash, your medical bills can add up, but you may be able to seek compensation from the negligent driver who caused your injuries.
Fatality Statistics Are High
Motorcyclists are over-represented in traffic death totals; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely to die if they are involved in a crash than a vehicle driver or passenger. Motorcyclists do not have the same protection as those inside a car or truck; the sheer volume of metal and glass involved in striking a vehicle can prove punishing for a cyclist whose only protection is their clothing and helmet. Even those who survive accidents with vehicles can have severe injuries, as the woman in Garfield may be left with.
There are many different reasons for the frequency of motorcycle accidents. Fatality statistics are made even worse by non-universal compliance with helmet laws – the NHTSA estimates that only 71 percent of riders wore helmets in 2018. Texas’ statistics are even more significant in that regard – roughly half of the 418 motorcyclists killed in 2018 on Texas roads were not wearing helmets at the time of their accidents. In addition, very often vehicle drivers simply do not take cyclists’ presence into account; failure to check blind spots or their turn lanes can lead to ruin.
If You Have Been Injured
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Texas, you may be able to seek compensation for the harm you have suffered. If you believe that another driver was responsible for your injuries, you can file suit to try and hold them accountable for their negligence. Texas law requires that you show four different criteria in order to be successful: 1) that the defendant owed a duty to exercise reasonable care toward the plaintiff; 2) that the defendant breached that duty; 3) that the breach of duty was the direct cause of the harm done to plaintiff; and 4) that the plaintiff was actually harmed, rather than merely frightened.
There are quite a lot of causes of action for which an injured motorcycle rider can seek damages. Most people bring suit in order to ensure their medical bills are covered, but in addition, a plaintiff may be able to seek damages for pain and suffering, lost wages, and other less tangible damages referred to as ‘non-economic’ damages. The objective of a personal injury lawsuit is to make the plaintiff whole (if at all possible); sometimes merely covering one’s medical bills is not sufficient to achieve that aim.
Contact a New Braunfels Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
While there is no word (as of this writing) as to the woman’s condition after her accident, many motorcycle accidents end with severe and even life-threatening injuries, and you have the right to seek redress for the harm you have suffered. The skilled New Braunfels motorcycle accident attorneys at the Bettersworth Law Firm can sit down with you to ensure that any questions are answered and your rights are protected. Contact our office today at 888-392-0039 for a free consultation.
Sources:
https://www.statesman.com/news/20191016/woman-hospitalized-after-motorcycle-crash-near-garfield-medics-say
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2018/01.pdf
