The reasons why drivers cross over the center line of a road or highway are many and varied, bu almost all of them involve the driver who crossed over engaging in some sort of negligent or reckless behavior. The driver may have gone too fast for the road conditions and lost control. Whatever the reason, if you (or a loved one) were hurt aboard a motorcycle because an oncoming driver was partially or totally in your lane of travel, then those facts may mean the other driver was legally culpable for the harm the accident caused. An experienced Santa Barbara motorcycle accident lawyer can help you complete the essential investigatory steps you case demands, and then pursue the compensation the law says you deserve.
These head-on crashes are often catastrophic or fatal for the motorcyclist involved. When a driver hits your stopped motorcycle, they hit with a force based on the speed they were going. When you’re moving and they hit you head on, they hit you with a force based on both vehicles’ combined speed. Of the 3,400+ fatal motorcycle crashes involving at least one other vehicle, 73% involved frontal impacts, according to statistics the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published last year.
A March collision in Ventura County is an example. According to a Ventura County Star report, the motorcyclist, a 66-year-old man from Oxnard, was headed southbound along a stretch of Highway 33 that winds through the canyons, cliffs, and gorges of the southern Los Padres National Forest. The northbound minivan driver, a 34-year-old woman, crossed the center line and entered the southbound lane for reasons that, at the time of the news report, were unknown. The minivan driver suffered cuts to one leg. Her two passengers were unhurt, according to Ojai Valley News. The motorcyclist was dead at the scene.
Why These Accidents Happen
As noted above, there are numerous factors that can lead to a driver crossing the center line. Drivers may cross the center line due because they were intoxicated, distracted, sleepy/fatigued, or unsuccessfully trying to pass another driver.
Losing control of a vehicle doesn’t always mean spinning out or careening off the road. It sometimes means a driver who temporary loses the ability to keep their car, truck, or SUV in their lane of travel, which can happen due to speeding, inclement weather, a hazard in the road, or a combination of factors. Bear in mind that a driver doesn’t always have to exceed the posted speed limit to be going too fast. If roads are wet or icy, or visibility is reduced by fog, rain, snow, or smoke, it’s possible to be driving at or below the speed limit but still be going too fast for the conditions. If the facts you present demonstrate that that was what happened, then that is still an instance of negligent driving under the law and a scenario in which you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
The knowledgeable Santa Barbara motorcycle accident attorneys at the law firm of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP have more than 75 years of combined experience fighting for injured motorcyclists and their families. Our attorneys understand that the totality of harm a motorcycle crash inflicts is wide and varied, and we’ll fight to get you the full recovery that the law says you’re entitled to receive. That includes everything from damage to your motorcycle to your medical bills to rehabilitation costs to lost earnings to pain and suffering damages. Contact us at 805-617-1365 or through our website to get a free case consultation today.
