As of 2013, fatal motorcycle accidents in New Jersey increased for the ninth year in a row. Motorcycle crashes can and do happen anywhere—in parking lots, in urban areas, on interstate highways or out on the winding roads of the countryside. In 1998, some 2,300 motorcyclists died in crashes in the U.S. By 2012, almost 15 percent of motor vehicle fatalities were motorcyclists, which is slightly more than 5,150 deaths. That is an increase of over 200 percent.

New Jersey is not immune to this staggering increase in motorcycle-related injuries and deaths. Almost 750 bikers died in the Garden State alone last year. Some 17 percent of those deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption and/or drunk driving on the part of the driver or the person who hit the motorcycle.

Passengers on motorcycles, and the drivers of those motorcycles, have little means of escape in the event of a collision with a car, bus, truck or tractor-trailer. After the accident, the riders are usually thrown from the bike and careen off the highway. Even with the protection of helmets, good boots, leather pants and jackets, they can suffer numerous broken bones, broken ribs, punctured lungs, head injuries and painful “road rash” from skidding along New Jersey roadways after a motorcycle accident.

Motorcycle operators and their passengers who are involved in accidents with cars and trucks may have grounds for filing a lawsuit in New Jersey for pain and suffering, for current and future medical bills, and for lost wages. Victims of such personal injury accidents are entitled to every form of protection offered by the laws of the state of New Jersey.

At Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, our New Jersey motorcycle injury lawyers have extensive experience fighting for victims of motorcycle accidents, and we make it our business to ensure that motorcyclists and their passengers get the compensation they deserve for the personal injuries they’ve suffered, such as a $1.4 million settlement for wrongful death on behalf of motorist for failing to properly maintain a tree which ultimately fell and killed him.

Motorcycles are lots of fun until you’re hit by a reckless driver. If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle accident, protect your rights and contact the New Jersey motorcycle accident lawyers at Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman. We will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss your motorcycle accident. A New Jersey motorcycle crash attorney of ours will do all the heavy lifting to prepare your case, so you can concentrate on your rehabilitation.