It’s generally understood that there’s an inherent danger element when you operate a motorbike. You can mitigate it by wearing a helmet and going at a reasonable rate of speed. However, you don’t have the metal shell around you when you’re on a motorbike that you do while in a car.
Sometimes, though, if you get in a motorbike accident, you can point to poor road design as being the reason for it rather than anything you did. If that happens, your best bet is usually to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer. You can explain to them what happened and see if there’s any entity you can reasonably sue.
Let’s take a closer look at how bad road design can lead to motorbike accidents.
Poor Drainage
If you’re operating a motorbike on a road, you will be safest if the surface area of that road is smooth and dry. If it’s raining, the road will naturally get slick, and then you need to proceed with an abundance of caution.
If you’re on a road that has poor drainage, though, that’s when things can get considerably more dangerous. When it starts raining, the water can pool and form formidable puddles. If you hit one of those, you might lose control of the motorbike, even if you were going at a relatively low rate of speed.
Sharp Curves
There are roads that have sharp curves. Long, winding roads down mountains are an example of this.
There are generally ways you can stay as safe as possible when on a road with sharp curves. Again, riding at a slow rate of speed is in your best interest.
Still, there is an inherent risk element with these types of roads that’s pretty much unavoidable. In some instances, it might be possible to file a lawsuit against the entity that built the road if the sharpness of the curves was clearly what caused your accident.
Faded Markings and Potholes
There’s the issue of neglect when it comes to roads. You might encounter a road with a lot of deep potholes when you’re on your motorbike. The entity that handles the road’s upkeep has a responsibility to the public to fill those dangerous holes expediently.
Faded markings on the road are also a reason why many accidents involving motorbikes happen. If you’re supposed to have paint on the road that tells traffic what to do, but it fades, that’s a situation where a crash is considerably more likely.
If you encounter any of these road situations, and you believe that they led directly or indirectly to your accident, it’s at least worth talking to an expert lawyer who can give you their opinion as to whether you have a case or not. If they say you can sue a person or entity, you might strongly consider doing so.
If you win, you may be able to recoup some of your losses for medical bills and mechanic payments if you need to fix your motorbike as well.
