4 Celebrity Motorcycle Accidents

As many as 12 people die in motorcycle accidents every day, according to a 2014 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In the same year, an alarming 92,000 motorcyclists suffered injuries in traffic accidents. Although the impact of motorcycle accidents on the general population is indeed staggering, sometimes it takes high-profile celebrity motorcycle accidents to really drive home the idea that it can happen to anyone.

Celebrity Motorcycle Accidents

1. Gary Busey

Troubled actor and avid motorcyclist Gary Busey suffered a fractured skill and permanent brain damage after a violent 1988 crash in Culver City, California. Busey formerly held an anti-helmet stance, but he changed his tune in 2001, telling USA Today, “Riding without a helmet is a gamble everyone is bound to lose.”

2. Bob Dylan

Like most aspects of Dylan’s personal life, his infamous 1966 motorcycle accident is shrouded in mystery. Records  indicate that Dylan crashed his motorcycle near his home in Woodstock, New York. The extent of his injuries was never disclosed, although Dylan himself claimed to have broken several vertebrae in his neck. After the accident, he mysteriously withdrew from the public, and he did not tour again for nearly eight years.

3. Billy Idol

Another lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, Billy Idol became seriously injured after he ran a stop sign and crashed into a car while riding his motorcycle around Los Angeles. His leg was seriously mangled—nearly requiring amputation—and he was left bedridden for six months. Despite the trauma of the incident, Idol continued riding and experienced another accident in 2011. However, this time he merely clipped a discarded tire while riding, and he only required minor surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot.

4. Peter Fonda

Wearing nothing but a bathing suit and loafers, Fonda (aka “Captain America”) took a shortcut on his Triumph motorcycle and wound up in a debilitating accident that tore up his back and left his hipbone poking through his skin. As a result of another 1985 wreck, Fonda lost a half-inch of height after undergoing surgeries to treat a broken back and neck.

If you’re one of the many people who have been involved in a motorcycle accident in the past few years, you could have a case against the other parties involved. Schedule a free consultation with our Colorado law firm today to find out how your own accident fits into a legal context.