According to a recently released report, the number of fatalities due to motorcycle accidents in Georgia are down by about 26 percent from 2016 to 2017. In 2016, 170 motorcyclists in Georgia lost their lives in accidents. In 2017, preliminary indications are that only 126 motorcyclists lost their lives in accidents.
Of course, the ultimate goal is for there to be no fatalities related to motorcycle accidents, as even one motorcyclist’s life lost on this state’s roads is a terrible tragedy.
Moreover, the report did not paint a completely rosy picture about the number of motorcycle fatalities on this country’s roads. While the number of fatalities has also decreased slightly nationwide, mile per mile, it is still the case that motorcyclists are almost 30 times more likely to die than those who travel in other types of vehicles and happen to be involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Furthermore, motorcyclists are representing a higher share of victims who die in fatal motor vehicle accidents. Over the years, the share of fatal accident victims who are motorcyclists have increased from just above 5 percent to about 14 percent.
While not all of these accidents are the fault of another driver, many of them are. It is unfortunately quite easy for an inattentive driver to miss the fact that a motorcyclist is nearby and either hit the motorcyclist or force the motorcyclist off his or her back. In both cases, the motorcyclist will likely suffer some injury and can easily get seriously hurt or killed.
While no amount of money can bring a motorcyclist back from the dead, it is important for families who lose a loved one to a motorcyclist may have legal options, including the option of obtaining compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.