Motorcycle accident deaths increase by 8.3 percent in 2015

Motorcycle accidents around the country claimed 4,594 lives in 2015 according to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the federal road safety watchdog's data reveals that motorcyclists and their passengers were 29 times more likely to die in a crash in that year than passenger vehicle occupants in Georgia and across the U.S. The 2015 motorcycle accident fatality figures represent an 8.3 percent increase over the 2014 death toll, but motorcycle accident injuries were down by 4.3 percent from 92,000 in 2014 to 88,000 in 2015.

The NHTSA report suggests that recklessness often plays a role in motorcycle crashes. About 40 percent of the motorcycle riders and passengers who died on the nation's roads in 2015 were not wearing a safety helmet, and one in three of them were traveling at speeds in excess of posted limits when they crashed. The NHTSA data also reveals that 27 percent of the motorcyclists involved in fatal accidents in 2015 were riding with blood alcohol levels that exceeded the legal limit.

Many road users blame motorcycle accidents on young and inexperienced riders, but more than half of the motorcyclists who died in crashes in 2015 were at or over the age of 40 according to the NHTSA. Experts say that older riders have higher risks because their reactions are slower and they tend to ride large and powerful motorcycles. The figures indicate that older motorcyclists are also more likely to suffer serious injuries in a crash.

The dependent family members of motorcycle riders killed in motor vehicle accidents caused by the negligence of another driver often have to cope with unmanageable financial situations. It can be difficult to make ends meet when the paycheck of a breadwinner has been lost, and unexpected expenses like funeral costs can make things even more challenging for families. Experienced personal injury attorneys may seek to ease the financial burdens of dependent family members by seeking compensation for these and other losses in wrongful death lawsuits filed on their behalf against the at-fault motorist.