Motorcycle injuries can be among some of the most devastating injuries that a person ever has to deal with. Motorcycle riders are not surrounded by steel, air bags or seat-belted in. You have to watch everything around you at nearly every moment - you not only need to maneuver your bike but you have to plan for what the other drivers around you are going to do wrong. That's right - what they are going to do wrong. Almost every motorcycle rider that I represent in a motorcycle accident has been hit by another vehicle. Do you know what the offending driver says nearly every time? I did not see you / him / her!

Fractured bones: Almost all motorcycle accidents end up with the rider landing hard on the pavement. If you are not wearing the proper gear you will likely end up with fractured bones. Oftentimes the bones fractured are in the limbs - especially the wrists and the ankles. It is only natural for an individual to reach out when thrown from their motorcycle in an effort to cushion the impact. The small bones of the wrist are particularly vulnerable when hitting the pavement. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to protect the hands and wrist. Yes you can wear gloves but this will only protect the hands from road rash and often that protection will be less than ideal.

The FHP says he was off-duty on his personal motorcycle when another vehicle pulled in front of him. They collided and Guerrero was ejected from his 2008 Harley. Investigators say a third car then ran over the motorcycle. Guerrero was flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa where he died of his injuries. The FHP says he was not wearing a helmet. 

Virginia:  The cargo net behind the driver came loose, allowing a large jacket to come loose and become entangled in the drive wheel, according to the report. The wheel locked up, causing Good to lose control and lay the motorcycle down in the middle of the road, according to the report.  Good was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered multiple injuries as he slid across the pavement, according to the report.

Good storage on a bike is a necessity if you are going to go any distance.  Here are some great sites:

• Viking Bags
• Motorcycle Luggage
• The Biker's Friend

Florida:  Authorities are searching for the driver of a car involved in a hit-and-run crash that sent the rider of a motor scooter to a hospital.  According to police, a red car hit the scooter at the intersection of San Marco Avenue and Sebastian Avenue in St. Augustine on Wednesday morning.  The person operating the scooter was hospitalized. His name and condition were not provided.

I have written before about who pays in hit and run motorcycle accidents .  I wanted here to say that the term "accident" is a misnomer in the hit and run context because the intent of a hit and run driver is questionable - maybe the offender meant to hit the motorcycle driver or scooter rider and therefore the "accident" is nothing of the sort.  Furthermore a hit and run driver is a coward. 

Texas: Granite Shoals Police Chief J.P. Wilson was in critical condition suffering from brain injury as a result of a motorcycle crash over the weekend. A woman reportedly pulled out in front of Wilson causing the crash.

Brain injury is one of the most devastating injuries that arise from motorcycle accidents.  The brain is shook violently within the skull encountering what is termed cout and counter-cout - a severe slamming of the delicate brain against the inside of the skull.  A helmet will help with decreasing the effect of the impact on the brain but a helmet does not always remove all of the risk. 

Oregon:  A woman who died in a motorcycle accident Sunday on Interstate 5 near the Terwilliger exit, has been identified as Terri Lee Young, the director of administration at Renaissance Homes.  Young, a Sherwood resident, lost control of her motorcycle for unknown reasons Sunday afternoon on I-5 and slammed into a traffic barrier near the Terwilliger exit, Portland police said. 

Construction areas are dangerous for motorcycles .  Whenever I read a story like that above I can not help but wonder about the road conditions.  Motorcyclists just do not simply lose control of their rides for no reason.  There may have been sand or gravel on the roadway or the road itself may have been uneven with sharp drop-offs. 

I do not know if you have been to Vegas lately but the traffic downtown is horrible.  Although I have no grounds to base this on I also venture that a few more than average have been drinking.  There are stop lights almost every block and the casinos are hopping with people that all want to get somewhere in a hurry.

Riding a motorcycle can be safe but you have to know what you are doing and be responsible not only for yourself but also be on the lookout for motorists who almost never see a motorcycle. 

Tennessee:  Chattanooga police responded to three accidents involving motorcycles during a 30-minute period around 1 p.m. today. One incident at 3500 Hixson Pike sent a man to the hospital with two broken legs and several severe lacerations to his legs, Chattanooga police spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary stated in a news release. The motorcyclist was traveling north on Hixson Pike when a vehicle traveling south allegedly turned in front of him, according to police. The driver of the vehicle was not injured and was cited for the illegal turn.  The other accidents resulted in only minor injuries.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and is an attempt to raise awareness that motorcycles will be in greater numbers - let's all be careful out there! 

This prompted me to write about construction zone accidents.  I only speculate as to the reason why this young man left the road in this situation but construction zones can be particularly hazardous for motorcycle riders. First of all there is usually sand or gravel strewn about the area.  For a car or truck this is not a problem but for a motorcycle the stability is drastically reduced - as is the stopping distance.  Furthermore, there are usually sharp drop-offs either to the side of the road or across teh road that again present dangers to the motorcycle rider.  Visibility is also reduced because dust and dirt are flying around.  Riders need to be particularly concerned if they are not wearing eye protection because flying debris can seriously damage your eyes.

When you combine all of the above with the usual problems that motorcycle riders face on a daily basis construction zones on roads are very dangerous. 

SOUTH CAROLINA:  About 4:40 p.m., a motorcycle hit the side of a truck driven by Berdina Cox, 51, of Summerville, Lance Cpl. Bob Beres said. Cox was coming off Tyvola Road and didn't yield to the motorcycle , which was going east on Dorchester Road, Beres said.

I wanted to talk a little about this accident because on and off ramps are a fertile area for negligence involving all vehicles but especially motorcycles.  Think about it - speeding up or slowing down to enter an ongoing lane of traffic - yelling kids or a cell phone pressed to your ear - how can anyone be expected to see a motorcycle?  That is negligence my friends!