What Is “No Contact” Motorcycle Accident?
Most motorcycle accidents have a clear-cut cause—a driver’s car makes physical contact with the motorcycle, causing injury to the motorcyclist. But that’s not always the case. There are also instances when a driver causes a motorcycle accident without ever making contact with the motorcycle itself. These accidents are referred to as “no-contact” accidents and they happen with frequency in Los Angeles and elsewhere across the country.
Establishing liability in a no-contact motorcycle accident is tricky, but it can be done. What must be proven in this type of accident is that the driver of a passenger vehicle was negligent either in an act or in omission and that negligence caused the motorcycle accident.
Another way that this no-contact crash might play out is when a motorcycle and a passenger car are traveling in separate lanes; the car changes lanes abruptly without signaling to the motorcyclist beforehand. To avoid a crash, the motorcyclist swerves, ultimately losing control of the motorcycle and
becoming injured.
In California, all drivers are required to obey traffic laws; they must be proactive in trying to avoid accidents and causing harm to others on the roadway. When they don’t, and accidents occur, they can be held liable for medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other damages that result from their negligence.
The law uses the standard of “reasonable person� to establish negligence. Would a reasonable person have acted in the same manner as the at-fault party? If it is determined that a reasonable person would have acted in the same way, then the person was not negligent. In determining negligence, the courts look at both sides in an accident, holding both drivers and riders of motorcycles accountable for staying vigilant on the road and staying abreast of any obstacles that might result in a crash.
Essentially, a no-contact motorcycle accident is just like a traditional motorcycle accident. The issue at hand, however, is not the collision of two vehicles, but the negligence of a driver and/or rider.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident, even if there was no collision involved, contact their office to arrange a conďŹ dential consultation. Their motorcycle accident attorney in San Francisco is adept at helping their clients recover damages due to them and offers a free, no-obligation case review at your convenience.
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