Regrettably, motorcycles offer little protection for Washington residents who ride them, and when cars and motorcycles collide, the people on the motorcycles may prove more likely to suffer serious, potentially life-changing injuries. As someone who regularly relies on a motorcycle as a means of transportation, it may surprise you to know that passengers on motorcycles are more likely to suffer head injuries than the people actually controlling the bikes. At Soholm Law Firm, PLLC, we understand that motorcycle crashes frequently lead to catastrophic injuries, and we have helped many people who suffered injuries or who lost loved ones in motorcycle crashes seek recourse.

According to Reuters, traumatic brain injuries are the most common type of injury motorcycle riders sustain in wrecks, but passengers are more likely to suffer these serious head injuries than the people behind the bike's controls. In fact, motorcycle passengers suffered traumatic brain injuries in about 40% of all motorcycle wrecks, while motorcycle drivers suffered traumatic brain injuries in about 36% of cases.

Why is it that motorcycle passengers face higher head injury risks than those driving the bikes? For starters, statistically speaking, motorcycle passengers are less likely than motorcycle drivers to wear helmets. In a study involving motorcycle drivers and passengers who were involved in car wrecks over a three-year span, about two-thirds of those driving the motorcycles were wearing helmets, while less than 58% of motorcycle passengers were doing the same.

Research also shows that motorcycle passengers face higher head injury risks even when both drivers and passengers wear helmets. For example, about 31% of helmet-wearing motorcycle drivers involved in crashes wind up suffering traumatic brain injuries, compared with about 36% of helmet-wearing motorcycle passengers. Find more about motorcycle wrecks on our webpage.