Motorcyclists in New York are at high risk of suffering serious, catastrophic or fatal injuries when in an accident. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles reports that in 2014 there were a total of 4,357 motorcycle accidents, or about 112 occurring in the state every day of the year. A further investigation into the facts reveals 142 fatal accidents, with 148 people killed and 4,105 people injured in that year.
Of the shocking numbers of injured people, 893 suffered serious injuries (about 20 percent of the total injured), 1,204 suffered moderate injuries, and 1,682 sustained minor injuries. The DMV also reports that a high percentage of these accidents were the result of driver distraction, at 15.4 percent. 10.3 percent were the result of following too closely, and 17.9 percent were due a driver failing to yield right of way.
Serious injuries include motorcycle crashes in which a person sustained broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, disfiguring injuries or accidental amputations, among others. These injuries can come with lasting consequences; the victim may require a lifetime of care in the worst cases. If the injuries can be successfully treated, it may require many months or even years before normal day-to-day life is restored. The losses sustained can leave a person with permanent impairments, unable to work or live life as he or she did prior to the motorcycle accident.