When an NH motorcycle accident occurs, the expenses of medical care for injuries and the bills for repairing or replacing the bike itself are obvious costs. But the costs of a motorcycle accident can be much higher and last for many years beyond the accident itself, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For example, fatal motorcycle accidents cost approximately $37 million in 2005 alone – 26% of all the costs that came from fatal motor vehicle accidents that year. Of these costs, only a fraction was the result of medical bills, including responding to an accident scene and treating the injured motorcyclist. The majority of the costs came from the money injured or killed motorcyclists lost from lost work – the money they would have earned if an accident had not cost them their lives.
Wearing a motorcycle helmet is one way to reduce the costs associated with most motorcycle accidents. A 1990 study in the Journal of Trauma found that motorcyclists who suffered a serious accident while wearing a helmet were 37 percent more likely to survive than motorcyclists who suffered a serious accident without wearing a helmet. Helmets don’t prevent crashes, but they do improve a biker’s chances of surviving with fewer severe, long-lasting, or life-threatening injuries.
According to the CDC, the best way to lower costs associated with motorcycle accidents is to prevent crashes from happening in the first place. While bikers can practice safe riding habits in New Hampshire, drivers must also learn to watch for and respect motorcyclists on the road.
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, the experienced New Hampshire motorcycle accident attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. may be able to help. We don’t just represent injured bikers – we also ride, so we know firsthand what motorcyclists face on the roads. To learn more, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. at (888) 332-5855 for a free consultation.