Motorcycle unawareness arises when drivers in other vehicles fail to pay attention to riders near their vehicle. This is an all too common problem for a variety of reasons. For example, many drivers simply are not used to seeing motorcycles on the road. This is because, despite the fact that motorcycles are common, they are not nearly as prevalent as cars, SUVs and trucks. Therefore, drivers can fail to notice the motorcyclist until it is too late and a crash is unavoidable.
This type of situation may have been the cause of a recent motorcycle accident that occurred in Orange County. The accident happened at about 5:20 p.m. in Westminster, when a car collided with a motorcycle. According to police, the eastbound car made a left turn in front of the motorcycle, which led to the accident. The motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries from the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A driver’s failure to yield to a motorcyclist is a common outcome that flows from the driver’s unawareness that the motorcycle is nearby. When this happens and it causes an accident, the results are usually much worse for the motorcyclist than for the driver of the other vehicle. This recent Orange County accident followed that pattern; the driver of the car suffered no injuries, but the motorcyclist lost his life.
Police are still investigating the cause of this particular accident. In other cases where a motorcyclist suffers injuries or death at the hands of a negligent driver, the victim or their loved ones can pursue legal action to recover damages that resulted from the accident. Nothing can ever bring back the loss of a loved one, but monetary compensation is the only manner in which the civil laws can redress a terrible situation like a fatal accident.
Source: Orange County Register, “Motorcyclist killed in Westminster crash,” Scott Schwebke, Nov. 26, 2014
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