When a car hits a motorcycle, it is often the car driver’s fault

With the warmer weather of summer coming soon to the Reno area, there will be more people riding their motorcycles on the city roads and the byways in the surrounding mountains. Other drivers in conventional cars and other motor vehicles have an obligation to be on the lookout for these motorcyclists and avoid hitting them by mistake. After all, a car colliding or even just cutting off a motorcycle can cause serious motorcycle accidents that can leave a Nevada motorcyclist suffering from a permanent disability.

According to a statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, when a car strikes a motorcycle, it is usually because the driver of the car has interfered with the right-of-way of the motorcyclist. Legally, this means that after a motorcycle crash with a car, the victim should seriously consider whether the driver of the other vehicle is responsible for the accident and, thus, the proper person to pay for things like medical expenses, lost wages and other damages.

There are a number of reasons why drivers do not yield to motorcyclists as they should. To some extent, drivers often claim that motorcyclists are just harder to see because they are smaller than other vehicles. In some cases, motorcyclists can be easily obstructed by another vehicle or an obstacle in or along the road. Distracted driving is also a reason why drivers do not yield. Moreover, even attentive drivers may not have trained themselves to notice motorcycles on the road.

Nevada drivers need to respect the right-of-way of motorcycles. If they do not, and an accident results, they may be held financially accountable.