George Clooney’s Near-Fatal Accident Highlights Motorcycle Dangers

George Clooney’s Near-Fatal Accident Highlights Motorcycle Dangers

Jan 3, 2023

Notable actor, George Clooney, recently conducted an interview with GQ and discussed a 2018 motorcycle accident he feared would end his life.

“I was on the ground. I was really screaming. Like, really screaming. And Grant [Heslov] came back, and he was screaming at everybody to get an ambulance, and I remember everybody got out of their cars, they stopped in the middle of the street, and all these people came and stood over me and just pulled out their phones and started taking video,” Clooney said.

At the time of the accident, CNN reported that the actor had told a friend it’s “good to be alive,” and the driver of the vehicle who initiated the crash had suddenly cut in front of him.

“I launched. I go head over heels,” Clooney told GQ. “But I landed on my hands and knees. If you did it 100 times, maybe once you land on your hands and knees, and any other version you land, you’re toast. It knocked me out of my shoes.” “I was just waiting for the switch to turn off because I broke his windshield with my head, and I thought, ‘OK, well, that’s my neck,'” he said.

Clooney miraculously escaped serious injury, but has said the crash left him with pain in his pelvis and bruises to a leg and an arm. He has reportedly quit riding motorcycles since the accident.

Schedule an appointment online for a free consultation today, or call us directly to speak to our top-rated, expert motorcycle accident attorneys.

Although Clooney emerged from the motorcycle accident relatively unscathed, many injured motorcyclists are not so fortunate. Cars, trucks, busses, and other vehicles often fail to practice the type of safe driving that could help keep the roads less dangerous for all, particularly motorcycle drivers.

What Are Common Injuries From Motorcycle Accidents?

Motorcycle accident injuries can range from relatively and often inexplicably minor (given the size of the vehicle in comparison to cars, trucks, busses, etc.) to catastrophic. In some cases, more serious injuries can result in fatalities. Some of the more common types of motorcycle injuries include:

• • Spinal cord injuries – Spinal cord injuries are common in motorcycle accidents and frequently result in paralysis (paraplegia or quadriplegia). These forms of paralysis typically result in permanent disability for the injured motorcyclist.
  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)– The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study examining 104,472 motorcyclists who had been injured in traffic crashes. Of those injured riders, 15% of helmeted and 21% of non-helmeted suffered TBI. 54% of riders within the sample died due to their TBI injuries.
  • Lower-extremity injuries – A NHTSA study examining lower-extremity injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes concluded that such injuries are the most frequent type suffered by motorcycle riders. Leg injuries were the most common type of lower-extremity injury, followed by bone fractures and various soft-tissue injuries.
  • Fractures and broken bones – Motorcycles are not stable when seated upright. Consequently, many riders fall and land on their sides during accidents. Crashes happen suddenly and often without warning, and a rider’s leg can become trapped underneath the bike’s frame during a fall. Wrists and arms are frequently fractured when riders attempt to break a fall with their arms, hands, or shoulders.
  • Internal injuries – Damage to internal organs and internal bleeding can be the result of blunt-force trauma (a blow from a hard object that does not puncture the skin) or penetration trauma (i.e. when broken glass or debris penetrates the skin during an accident).
  • Road rash – When a motorcycle rider falls and skids across a road surface during a crash, significant skin abrasions, often referred to as “road rash,” can occur. The severity of such injuries can range dramatically – from mild scrapes and bruises to serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention, such as skin grafts and other invasive surgeries. Such procedures make motorcycle accident victims highly susceptible to deadly infections and permanent scarring.

What Steps Should I Take After Being Injured in a Motorcycle Accident?

After being injured in a motorcycle accident, we recommend you take the following steps as soon as possible:

• • • Remove yourself from a dangerous accident scene: People are often injured further or even killed following a motorcycle collision. Accident scenes are extremely dangerous, and passengers (particularly those who are injured) are vulnerable to nearby fast-moving traffic.
    • Call 911 and report the accident: Law enforcement, paramedics, and other first responders will quickly arrive on the scene and provide medical attention while also recording critical info for reports that may serve as evidence in the future.
    • Immediately take relevant photos and videos of the accident scene, and move your motorcycle away from the road. Leaving a motorcycle in the road can be a hazard to oncoming traffic, potentially triggering a chain-reaction or pile-up accident.
    • Gather pertinent details that can be used as evidence: Retrieve names of all parties involved who witnessed the accident, including other drivers, passengers, and law enforcement officers. Notate the time of the accident, the location, the make and model details of all vehicles involved, and all license plate numbers.
    • Obtain immediate medical attention: If you sustain even a minor injury, go to the emergency room and receive a medical evaluation. Failure to undergo medical care after an accident could be a serious mistake that significantly affects the value of your claim. If your doctor recommends a follow-up visit with a specialist, undergoing a diagnostic imaging procedure, or a type of therapy, please follow their advice. A failure to do so (not receiving necessary medical care) could be used as evidence against you by the defense counsel in an attempt to demonstrate that your injuries were actually insignificant or even exacerbated by your own negligence. Such claims, if accepted by a judge or jury, could impact your damages award – anywhere from thousands of dollars to upwards of millions of dollars depending on your specific case. It’s important to keep in mind that this type of tactic is frequently used by defense attorneys in motorcycle accident and car crash cases. Do not let them force you into an insignificant and unjust settlement award.
    • Report the accident to your insurance company and call a motorcycle accident attorney at Dordulian Law Group: Do not wait for an insurance company to make a lowball offer, and never accept a settlement before calling an experienced and proven DLG motorcycle accident lawyer. Contact a member of our Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney team as soon as possible. We will help you recover all the damages you are entitled to receive for your unfortunate accident due to the negligence of an individual or institution.

California Lane Splitting Rules for Motorcycle Drivers

If you’ve spent any time on the road in California, you’ve undoubtedly witnesses the common occurrence of ‘lane splitting’ that is popular among motorcycle riders. Lane splitting (also known as lane sharing or filtering) involves motorcycles driving (weaving) between cars regardless of whether they’re stopped or moving. A 2014 study’s findings indicated that 80% of California motorcyclists engage in lane splitting on the state’s roads, streets, and freeways. In fact, more than half of all California motorcyclists indicate they do so “often” or “always.”

While lane splitting may be somewhat irritating for car and truck drivers, the practice is absolutely legal in California (although not so in any other state), and therefore all vehicle drivers must remain vigilant for motorcyclists who may be changing lanes at any given moment.

Although exact data regarding the safety of lane splitting is quite scarce, many DLG motorcycle rider clients report that their accidents and resulting injuries are frequently due to a driver failing to heed an instance of lane splitting. The result? Motorcyclists are frequently injured in accidents that could easily be avoided if other drivers simply pay attention and drive safely.

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident due to another driver’s negligence – whether on account of lane splitting, reckless driving, failure to check one’s blind spot, driving under the influence, or any number of other scenarios, you (the motorcyclist) may be entitled to significant compensation for your injuries, medical bills, damage to your property, lost wages or earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

Types of Damages Available to Motorcycle Accident Victims

A top-rated, dedicated, and skilled attorney at Dordulian Law Group will fight to help you secure financial compensation for various types of damages:

• • • Medical bills related to the accident
    • Loss of salary
    • Loss of future earning capacity
    • Physical pain
    • Emotional suffering and psychological trauma/resulting conditions such as PTSD

Additionally, if a tragic fatality resulted from a motorcycle accident, the family of the decedent may file a wrongful death lawsuit and recover compensation for various types of damages:

• • • Medical bills
    • Funeral and burial expenses
    • Loss of financial earnings (including future wages the victim would have accrued over their lifetime)
    • Loss of love & companionship

If you experienced a motorcycle accident injury, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.

Why Contact DLG for Your Motorcycle Injury Case?

With a 98% success rate and history of recovering over $100 million for injured clients, Dordulian Law Group provides an unprecedented advantage which simply can’t be met by other ‘mega firms’ that advertise constantly on television and radio. We offer a unique type of representation by providing clients with access to a team of the best personal injury and motorcycle accident attorneys in California. We handle every case with the utmost attention and dedication required to ensure we prevail in court on your behalf and recover the maximum allowable financial damages award for the incident – whether a motorcycle accident, car crash, truck accident, etc.

DLG was founded by Samuel Dordulain, a former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County with a superlative success record and outstanding reputation among the city’s most revered legal professionals. Additionally, DLG investigates each case with the assistance of our Chief Investigator, Detective Moses Castillo, a recent retiree from the LAPD. Detective Castillo spent nearly three decades with the LAPD in the Central Traffic Division (skills which are invaluable when investigating motorcycle accidents) as well as the elite Sex Crimes Division for Abused Children. Dordulian, Castillo, and our countless additional professionals comprise the leading motorcycle accident firm serving Los Angeles and the greater California area.

DLG is the Best Choice to Take on and Win Your Motorcycle Accident Case

We are here to fight for you 24/7, and will ensure you are completely comfortable during the legal process and with all strategies we apply to your case, allowing you to focus on the most important matter at hand – your physical recovery and well-being.

Contact us today for a free, no obligation, discreet, and painless consultation at 855-804-9636 so we may help you obtain  justice and recover the financial compensation you deserve for your motorcycle accident.