If you or your loved one has been broadsided by a car or truck while riding a motorcycle, you may have sustained serious injuries and be facing a lengthy recovery. You may be out of work for months and wondering how you will pay your medical bills and support your family. At Parnall Law, we understand that you are going through a tough time. You do not have to carry the burden by yourself. Our motorcycle accident attorneys are ready to answer your questions and explain your legal rights to seek compensation.
Attorney Bert Parnall has dedicated his legal practice to helping accident victims in Albuquerque and surrounding Central New Mexico. Our five core values are: Team, Talent, Truth, Tenacity, Triumph. The legal team Parnall Law has assembled stands up aggressively for motorcyclists injured in broadside accidents because we have repeatedly seen insurance companies try to shift the blame to bikers, even when another motorist obviously caused the accident. We are tenacious in our pursuit of justice on behalf of our clients.
What is a Broadside Accident?
A broadside collision occurs when one vehicle strikes another at a right angle. Broadside collisions tend to occur at busy Albuquerque intersections where roads and traffic converge. This type of collision is also described as a side impact collision or a T-bone collision. A biker is extremely vulnerable to serious injury in a broadside collision.When a motorcycle rider is involved in a broadside collision, the rider is more likely to sustain serious injuries than the occupants of a car or truck. Motorcycles do not offer riders the structural protection of an automobile passenger compartment to absorb the energy of a collision. The force of the impact may throw the rider from the motorcycle into oncoming vehicles or into an active traffic lane.
How Do Broadside Motorcycle Accidents Occur?
Careless driving is often the cause of broadside collisions. A motorcyclist may be following the traffic rules and proceeding through an intersection with a green light when a careless or inattentive motorist runs a stop sign or red light and hits the motorcycle broadside or gets T-boned by the motorcycle.
Broadside accidents involving motorcycles often occur because of an automobile driver’s failure to see a motorcycle at an intersection. Motorcycles have a narrower profile than cars and trucks. When scanning an intersection for oncoming traffic, an automobile driver may carelessly overlook a motorcyclist or misjudge the biker’s approaching speed and pull out in front. When a car or truck suddenly pulls into the path of a motorcycle, the biker may not have adequate time to swerve and avoid the other vehicle. The biker may be unable to avoid slamming into the side of the vehicle.
Who is at Fault in a Motorcycle T-bone Accident?
Motorists in New Mexico have a legal duty to use reasonable care when driving. This duty includes obeying traffic rules and driving with the same prudence that a typical driver would use in similar circumstances. When a driver fails to act with reasonable care and causes an accident, the at-fault driver may be liable for the injuries caused to others in the accident.
T-bone collisions often occur because inattentive drivers simply fail to perceive a motorcycle in traffic.
Even if you were partially at fault in the broadside collision, you may still be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. Let a knowledgeable Albuquerque motorcycle accident attorney review the details of your broadside accident and explain your legal options.
Common Injuries in a Broadside Motorcycle Accident
Motorcyclists are vulnerable in broadside collisions. Because of the lack of protection, riders are more likely to sustain serious injuries or fatal injuries in a broadside collision.
Motorcycle riders may sustain head injuries, neck injuries, back injuries or fractures to arms and legs. Neck and back injuries may involve herniated discs, whiplash, nerve damage and fractured vertebrae.
Riders also are vulnerable to traumatic brain injuries if the rider’s head strikes the pavement or another vehicle. Motorcyclists who are not wearing helmets are more likely to sustain serious head injuries.
Injuries to the lower extremities are also common in T-bone collisions. A rider may sustain a fractured pelvis or fractures to the leg bones, ankle and foot from the impact of the crash.
Biker’s arm is a common injury suffered by riders who are thrown from a motorcycle and fall on their arm, causing nerve damage. The nerve damage can cause a rider to have partial or complete paralysis and loss of use of their arm.
How Can an Albuquerque Motorcycle Accident Attorney Help?
When you turn to Parnall Law for help after a serious motorcycle accident in Albuquerque, our compassionate personal injury attorneys will answer your questions and move quickly to investigate the accident.
We are committed to holding negligent drivers accountable and to keeping you well informed of our progress on your case.
Contact our trusted Albuquerque broadside motorcycle accident lawyers to arrange a free consultation about your accident. At Parnall Law, our attorneys handle motorcycle injury claims on a contingency fee basis. We do not charge anything to get started on your case. We get paid only when we obtain compensation for you through a negotiated settlement or a jury award. Call or use our online contact form to get started.
