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How Many Motorcycle Accidents Are Caused By Grass In The Road?

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The Dangers of Grass In The Road For Motorcyclists

If you’re a motorcycle rider, you know just how scary it is to find grass in the road on a corner or any other loose object like gravel, sand, tree branches, roadkill, rocks or any type of road debris. All of these things can be very dangerous to motorcycle riders as they can cause accidents, especially when these objects are in the middle of a turn where they need traction the most. But how often does this type of incident cause accidents? Well, there is no specific data tracking motorcycle accidents from grass in the road because it is grouped in with all the other accidents where road conditions played a part. However, it is safe to say that hundreds of motorcycle accidents happen every year across the United States due to grass in the road.

lawn care worker leaving grass in the road that causes motorcycle accident

Why Motorcycle Riders Need Clean Roads

Motorcycles are very different from cars and trucks when it comes to how they handle. They only have two points of contact with the ground, making them much less stable than a car with four wheels. Due to only having two wheels, they must lean into turns which means they need good traction, otherwise their tires could slip and cause the rider to go down. So when there are loose impediments in the road like grass, sand, gravel or anything else like water or oil, riders cannot lean into the turn as much without the risk of losing traction and crashing. In these scenarios, the rider has to either pick the bike up straight and go through the turn without actually turning so they avoid crashing, or they have to take their chances and try to keep traction the best they can. Both can quickly lead to disaster, especially if the rider is not extremely comfortable handling their motorcycle in such hazardous conditions.

Note: Check out this article for tips on how motorcycle riders can stay safe on the roads.

Most of the time when motorcyclists run into these types of issues in turns, it ends up in a crash because recovering from losing traction is no easy task, even for the most experienced riders. This is why it is so important to keep the roads clean(especially turns) for motorcycle riders all of the time. Winter times are even more dangerous for riders because of the salt and sand that plow trucks lay down on the roads. The injuries sustained from motorcycle accidents are also typically very severe since there is no protective metal shell to protect them like in car or truck accidents. The only protection a rider has is the gear they are wearing, which won’t stop any blunt force injuries that are commonly very severe. These types of injuries can easily turn into a fatal motorcycle accident.

Who Is Liable For Accidents Caused By Grass In The Road?

Liability in these situations comes down to who actually was responsible for the grass being in the road in the first place. So let’s look at some examples.
Homeowners: If you are a homeowner and you cut your grass and leave the clippings in the road which then causes an accident, you would be the liable party for the accident. The same goes for your children leaving grass in the road, guests at your home or any other party that left grass in the road that came from your property. As the home or property owner, you are responsible for making sure no debris or loose impediments from your property end up in the road. So instead of blowing grass and leaves into the road, blow them back onto your lawn and save a life.

Lawn care companies: Lawn mowing companies cut grass all day long, but you’ll notice that most of them blow the grass clippings back onto the lawn instead of leaving them in the road. This is because they understand the liability that comes with not properly removing the grass from the roads. If you are hiring a company that does not do this, make sure you notify them that it is required the next time they cut your grass or they will be liable for any accidents that occur due to their actions.

HOA or Municipalities: Some communities have HOAs or municipalities that take care of the yard maintenance. In these situations, if the HOA or municipality is the one that left grass clippings in the road which causes an accident, then they would be the person/company that is liable for the damages that come from the accident.
Anyone Else: Outside of the situations mentioned above, anyone that takes part in putting loose impediments in the road that causes a motorcycle accident, whether it be sand, gravel, grass, oil or anything else, they are the person responsible for whatever accident happens due to these objects causing an unsafe road condition.

Damages The Rider May Be Entitled To

Whether you were the one that crashed or the one responsible for a crash, it is important to understand what the at fault party will be held responsible for in the motorcycle accident claim.
Economic Damages – When an accident happens due to someone else’s negligence, any monetary costs associated with the accident are the responsibility of the at fault party. This means any damage to their motorcycle, gear, property, or other items will need to be reimbursed. The at fault party will also be responsible for paying any medical bills, lost wages and other financial burdens that were a result of the accident. All of these costs have a dollar amount tied to them and because of that, they are considered Economic Losses. Next let’s look at non-economic damages.

Non-Economic Damages – As stated earlier, any accident that was due to the other party’s negligence will be compensated for, but there are sometimes losses incurred that are not monetary and these are called Non-Economic Losses. These include things such as pain and suffering, loss of mobility, loss of eyesight, loss of ability to live a normal life, lifelong injuries, disfigurement and more. Since they don’t have an exact dollar amount, your attorneys will need to take a look and determine what to ask for in compensation for these non-economic damages and add that to the economic losses to calculate your final settlement package.

Why You Need A Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Getting into an accident on your motorcycle is never a fun thing to deal with, but having an experienced motorcycle accident attorney on your side can make the process a whole lot easier on you. They will gather evidence to use in your claim, determine exact amounts of compensation you are entitled to, put together a solid case against the at-fault party, negotiate your settlement and handle the rest of the details for you. Unless you are an accident attorney yourself, there are a lot of moving parts that require an expert to be able to maximize your claim. By not using an attorney, you are likely leaving money on the table.

Call Us For Help With Your Claim

As motorcycle riders ourselves, we know exactly how detrimental a crash can be. That is why we take pride in providing the best legal representation possible for motorcycle accident victims. While you recover from your injuries, our team will handle everything from start to finish with your case so you can maximize your claim without having to lift a finger. Don’t settle for an attorney who isn’t familiar with motorcycles, settle for the best motorcycle accident lawyer in Colorado by working with Rector Stuzynski LLC. We offer free consultations over the phone and in person so feel free to get in touch with us today about your claim.

Areas We Serve

We serve clients injured anywhere throughout the state of Colorado, but we focus on residents of these areas: Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Fountain, Briargate, Monument, Black Forest, Pueblo, Canon City, Larkspur, Security-Widefield, Peyton, Castle Rock, Teller County, El Paso County, Elbert County, Park County, Douglas County and beyond.