When cars make left turns in front of motorcycles, it’s not unusual for the rider to be seriously — even catastrophically — injured. However, in one particular incident reported this week in NY, it may just be a case of karma coming back to get the rider.

A man from West Babylon, New York was rushed to surgery following an accident in which he hit a car that was making a left turn in front of him at an intersection. The biker was riding north on the road and the vehicle driver, a 34-year-old woman, was heading south. The rider was seriously injured as a result of the motorcycle accident. Neither party’s identity has been released.

Here’s where the story gets interesting. Authorities investigating the accident indicated that the motorcycle was reported stolen. It’s unclear whether the biker had anything to do with the theft.

There are many things that cause serious motorcycle accidents, but crashes involving cars or trucks making left turns in front of riders is a main factor. In fact, statistics reveal, 42 percent of motorcycle accident fatalities can be attributed to left-turn collisions.

A left turn collision can occur in one of two ways:

A car riding side by side with a motorcycle fails to see the biker in their blind spot and makes a left turn in front of them. The biker was riding straight and winds up T-boning the car.
A car is heading in one direction while the biker is riding toward the car in an oncoming direction. The car doesn’t see the motorcycle and makes a left turn at an intersection but the rider keeps going — crash!

In a lot of cases, the car driver is charged with causing the accident. In the particular case discussed here, police have not charged either the rider or motorist in the accident to date. The investigation is underway.

If you or someone you care about has been injured in any type of motorcycle accident in New Jersey, it’s important that you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who knows how to negotiate maximum compensation for injured riders. Andrew Prince is passionate about helping motorcyclists. Contact his office today to request your free consultation.