Alcohol Related Motorcycle Accidents In Buffalo, New York

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2017, 10,874 deaths resulted from accidents where drivers were above the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08. Drunk driving accidents have become such a wide-spread epidemic that they are connected to 29% of all motor vehicle accident deaths.

Drivers that choose to operate their vehicles while drunk or under the influence of alcohol put everyone around them, including motorcyclists, in grave danger. In fact, bikers are placed in even more risk of suffering serious injuries or even death due to the unprotected nature of motorcycles. Even at moderately low speeds, a drunk driver colliding into a motorcycle can result in much more severe injuries than if he or she hit another passenger vehicle. In tragic situations where a rider is struck by a driver impaired by alcohol, the motorcyclist may be left with permanent disabilities, broken bones, road rash, traumatic brain injuries or even death.

A motorcyclist that is seriously injured due to an intoxicated driver can end up facing a challenging situation emotionally, physically and financially. Victims are often bedridden at the hospital for days or weeks, instead of being able to work. Hospital and medical bills pile up, which can be particularly burdensome when the victim is out of work. Pursuing a personal injury claim against the reckless drunk driver may be the only way to get back on your feet.

Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his team of Buffalo, New York drunk driving motorcycle accident lawyers have seen the harmful consequences that the terrible injuries suffered by motorcycle accident victims can have on them and their loved ones. After a drunk driving crash, a motorcycle accident victim’s number one priority should be recovering, and our team is here to help with the rest. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. team possesses the experience and skill necessary to ensure that justice is served and that you are fully compensation for your losses.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s team of lawyers for drunk driving motorcycle accident victims in Buffalo, New York is highly experienced, aggressive, tenacious and hardworking. Every day, Jed Dietrich, Esq. is dedicated to obtaining the best possible results for injured motorcycle riders. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. will fight to obtain the best result for your serious motorcycle accident injury. Insurance companies have paid Jed Dietrich, Esq. over $175,000,000.00 in verdicts and settlements to compensate his clients for their serious personal injuries. Contact us today at 716-839-3939 for your free consultation. We are available 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, and there is never a fee unless we WIN for you!

Drunk drivers not only endanger themselves, but also all other users of the road. In a split second, another driver’s bad judgement to drink and drive can endanger or end an innocent motorcyclist’s life. When drivers are intoxicated, their awareness of surroundings, vision, perception, motor skills and reaction times are all greatly impacted.

The considerably slender profile of motorcycles makes them less noticeable to drunk drivers. Drunk drivers often swerve into surrounding lanes or lose control of their vehicles and collide into riders. Roughly two-thirds of all accidents involving motorcycles result from other vehicles encroaching on the motorcyclists’ right-of-way. Too many times motorcyclists are collided into because drunk drivers failed to see them.

Drivers under the influence of alcohol are much more likely to participate in reckless behaviors such as speeding, driving erratically or driving overly aggressively. These types of behaviors greatly increase the risk of crashing. Some of the most frequent causes of drunk drivers hitting motorcyclists include:

1. Failing to see the motorcyclist;
2. Swerving across lanes;
3. Driving on the wrong side of the road;
4. Tailgating the motorcyclist;
5. Falling asleep while driving;
6. Distracted driving;
7. Overly aggressive or reckless driving;
8. Failing to stop at a red light or stop sign;
9. Speeding; and
10. Failing to obey traffic laws.

If you, or a loved one, were injured in a Buffalo, New York motorcycle accident, contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today at 716-839-3939. Our team of highly experienced, aggressive, tenacious and hardworking drunk driving motorcycle accident injury lawyers in Buffalo, New York will fight for the compensation that you deserve for the injuries that you suffered. This may include monetary compensation for your medical bills, lost time from work and pain and suffering.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is approximately 1 fatality every 50 minutes in the United States resulting from drinking and driving. Motorcycle related accidents caused by drunk drivers are much more likely to result in serious injuries, fatalities and massive medical expenses than accidents involving other vehicles. Riders are five times more likely to suffer injuries than any other type of driver. It only takes a very small bump for a rider to be tossed over the bike’s handlebars and onto the pavement. A motorcyclist that is thrown from their bike can easily undergo multiple points of impact, with minimal protection to their body. Drunk drivers often speed, which may result in completely running a motorcyclist over.

The most commonly suffered motorcycle injuries in accidents caused by drunk drivers include:

1. Road rash;
2. Internal organ damage from trauma;
3. Broken bones, particularly the motorcyclist’s skull, jawbone, hands, wrists, arms and legs;
4. Severed limbs;
5. Traumatic brain injury;
6. Concussion injury;
7. Severe neck and back injuries;
8. Spinal cord injuries or complete paralysis;
9. Facial and craniofacial injuries; and
10. Permanent disfigurement.

Victims of motorcycle accidents caused by the recklessness of a drunk driver may be entitled to monetary compensation for their injuries. Victims can pursue recovery for damages through a personal injury lawsuit, which may include compensation for:

1. Medical costs;
2. Future medical care expenses;
3. Permanent disability;
4. Lost wages from missed work;
5. Reduced earning capacity;
6. Pain and suffering;
7. Mental anguish; and
8. Property damage.

If the drunk driver acted with gross negligence or recklessness, punitive damages may also be able available.

Motorcyclists are approximately 28 times more likely to experience a lethal crash than drivers of other vehicles. If you lost a family member in a motorcycle accident, although nothing can erase the pain of your loss, you may have the right to file a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death claims provide surviving family members with financial compensation that can assist them in obtaining some sense of closure and financial security after the loss of a loved one.

Drivers of all vehicles have the duty to exercise reasonable care for the safety of others. Drunk drivers may be held responsible for the injuries or death that they caused because of the breach of their duty of care. It is particularly vital that personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits are filed with the driver's BAC level documented on a police report. Any criminal charges against the drunk driver would serve as additional evidence that his or her recklessness caused the crash. The verdict in a criminal case against the drunk driver can potentially impact both personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Additionally, there may be other parties held responsible for your damages, such as hosts or providers of alcohol, employers, restaurants or bars. New York State has what is known as the Dram Shop Law, which means that providers and sellers of alcohol can be held legally responsible to those injured or killed as a result of crashes caused by alcohol.

If you, or a loved one, suffered a serious injury in a motorcycle accident, contact Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his top rated team of Buffalo, New York drunk driving motorcycle accident injury lawyers at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. for a free consultation. Our team is available 24 hours per day and 7 days per week at 716-839-3939 or by filling out the online consultation form. Contact us today so that we can help you!

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!