Are Horses More Dangerous Than Cars and Motorcycles?

It is easy to think of horse riding as being a gentler, less dangerous activity than riding a car or motorbike. Yet, is this really the case? A look at some historical accidents and research on the subject lets us get an idea of how dangerous it is to get on a horse.

Famous Horse Accidents in the Past

A number of celebrities and historical figures have died or been seriously injured while riding a horse. These include the Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan, who apparently died in the 13^th century after suffering a fall.  In more modern times, Superman actor Christopher Reeve was confined to a wheelchair due to a riding accident in 1995.

Horses can also be involved in traffic accidents The most recent stories of this type tend to have involved a trailer or some other type of equine transport crashing or being tripped over.

One of the few famous accidents involving a celebrity, a horse, and traffic came in 1954. American tennis player Maureen Connolly was just 19 and had recently won her third Wimbledon title when she went riding in San Diego. She was pinned between her horse and a concrete mixer truck and then thrown off, with the resulting serious injuries ending her tennis career.   

Of course, the number of horse accidents is smaller than the list of car and motorbike accidents. However, we need to take into account that they are also used less frequently across the world. So, how can we hope to compare both modes of transport?

The Research

Fortunately, there has been research carried out on the subject. For example, the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour published an eye-opening report that suggested that it is 20 times more dangerous to ride a horse than to ride a motorbike.

They also suggested that equine-related incidents make up a quarter of all fatal injuries in children’s sporting activities. A figure of 1 serious injury for every 350 hours that people are in contact with horses confirms the dangers of this activity. 

People in their 20s and 50s are said to be most as risk, with powerful kicks from the horses being one of the main causes of serious injuries. 

What About Professional Horse Riding?

There are some very good reasons to believe that horse racing and other professional equine events are safer than people going out to occasionally ride on a horse. For a start, these animals are carefully bred and trained.

Top racehorses are handled by experts all the time, and most top jockeys have been around horses all their lives. Despite the massive popularity of horse racing over so many years, there have very few jockeys who have died in action.

The most famous case was probably that of Frank Hayes. But it wasn’t an accident that led to his death in 1923. Rather, he suffered a heart attack half-way through the race. Incredibly, his horse, named Sweet Kiss, went on to win the race with Hayes still in the saddle.

Another famous case involved Avelino Gomez. The hugely successful Cuban–born jockey died after a multiple horse accident in the 1980 Canadian Oaks. That these are among the few cases to be reported suggests that horse racing is actually very safe.

If we look at a big event like the Kentucky Derby, in over 140 years there has been no reported jockey deaths. While the speed and the risk add to the emotion of events like this, the chance of a jockey coming to serious harm is very low.

To know more about the Kentucky Derby, including news and updates, click here: https://www.twinspires.com/blog/2020-kentucky-derby-news-notes

Summary

It seems that horse riding may be more dangerous than driving a car. However, this only applies in certain circumstances. In the case of professional equine events, the risk of injury is greatly reduced.           

Sports Stars Who Have Survived Horrific Crashes

It is no secret that many sports stars love to spend their earnings on high-speed cars and motorbikes. While most of them avoid major incidents while driving, the following athletes have all suffered spectacular crashes that they were lucky to survive.    

Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback has set many records in his long and impressive NFL career. Among them, he became the first quarterback in history to lead his team to 20 comeback wins before turning 30.

In 2006, Roethlisberger was riding his motorcycle in Pittsburgh without a helmet and with an expired temporary license.

He flew into the windscreen of a car at the Armstrong Tunnel / Second Avenue intersection and later said that paramedics saved his life when they stopped the bleeding in his throat. A nine-inch laceration to his head, broken jaw, and 7 hours or surgery added up to a painful experience but he was able to resume his NFL career afterward.   

  

Jay Williams

Williams had a hugely promising career in basketball ahead of him. He was the NABC Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002. In the NBA draft in 2002, he was the second pick and joined the Chicago Bulls. After working to try and establish himself in the Bulls team, tragedy struck in June 2003.

Williams was riding a new Yamaha motorbike without a helmet and despite it being forbidden in his contract.  He crashed into a streetlight in a Chicago intersection and was sent flying through the air. The resulting severed main nerve in his leg, torn knee ligaments, and fractured pelvis effectively ended his NBA career before it had properly started.    

Chad Jones

Chad Jones was another athlete whose promising career was destroyed by a traffic accident. After a successful career in college football, he was picked by the New York Giants in the 2010 NFL draft. However, his career was ended when he crashed the new Land Rover that he bought that same year  

Reports suggest that Jones lost control of the powerful vehicle and hit a pole, and the player thinks that he may have fallen asleep at the wheel. He suffered a life-threatening amount of blood loss and several fractures in his leg.

Released from football due to injuries, he was lucky to be able to turn to baseball and joined the Cincinnati Reds in the 2013 MLB draft. He is now part of the regular picks of the MLB betting scene.

If you want to know more about MLB betting click here: https://extra.betamerica.com/mlb/ 

Dany Heatley

German-born Heatley was a prolific scorer in the NHL, but his life was turned upside down in 2003, when he crashed his Ferrari into a brick pillar. He was playing for the Atlanta Thrashers at the time and his team-mate Dan Synder tragically died in the crash.

Heatley avoided jail-time over the incident but ended up getting three years’ probation and having a court restriction on the type of vehicle he can drive. He asked to move away from Atlanta after the accident and has played for a few different teams then, with the last one being the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers in Germany.  

Bobby Hurley

Hurley was chosen by the Sacramento Kings as the seventh overall pick in the NBA’s 1993 draft. This came after a great spell in college basketball that saw him ranked as one of the country’s outstanding young prospects, with a record number of NCAA assists that still stands.

However, in his rookie season in the NBA, he was driving an SUV that got hit by another vehicle. Hurley didn’t have a seat belt on and he got thrown out of his SUV, leading to serious injuries.  He carried on playing but the injuries limited his career and he ended up becoming a head coach after retiring at a young age.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods rollover accident in Palos Verdes, CA on February 23, 2020. 

How to Navigate Car Insurers After a Car Accident

Working with car insurers after an accident can be challenging. Going through all the complicated processes can cause anyone a headache. Never mind those who are often dealing with extreme psychological stress from their recent car accident. Often those in this kind of situation work with a professional accident lawyer, so they have someone to guide them through this challenging process. To help you on your way, we are going to give you an approach to navigate car insurers if you end up in an accident.

Accurate Account of Events

When working with your car insurance company for support after a car accident, you will want to make sure you have an accurate account of the events that led up to the accident. With an accident account built up through eyewitness accounts and possibly dashcam footage, you will find it easier to make your case. It can be difficult to blame another party if you lack the evidence to do it. At that point, it could become a battle of word which never ends up holding much in a court of law.

Make sure to get accurate details from eyewitnesses and carefully document all damages done. This way you will find it easier to make to case to your insurers for the maximum amount that you require to restore your vehicle and life back to where it once was.

Expert Support

Having the right support through this stressful process is incredibly important. It would be hard enough to fight your corner without recently experiencing a car accident but with a car accident, it can prove difficult. Especially if your car ended up being a write-off. Therefore, many people decide to work with a personal injury lawyer. They specialize in fighting your corner in these kinds of situations.

Personal injury lawyers often have a wealth of experience working towards getting you the claim that you deserve. With this kind of support around you, you can rest easy. Knowing that you will have an intelligent compassionate person fighting for you. While you are going through your case, you might also want to work with a therapist to help you process the trauma of the event. Processing this could help you make better choices as you work with your insurance company. In some cases, psychological trauma can end up in more financial support. So do not neglect yourself.

Negotiate

Car insurance companies are here to help you and make sure you have the support you need during this kind of crisis. But you must remember that they still are a business and will do whatever they can to pay less out on a claim. Make sure you use all the ammo you must negotiate the best deal for yourself. Lawyers often prove their worth in this kind of situation. If you are in an accident that is not your fault, lawyers usually claim from the other side, so you do not even have to worry about paying them.

Smart lawyers will understand how to work your angles effectively. Therefore, you need to work with one when you approach your car insurance provider. Ideally, you will talk to your lawyer as soon as possible after an accident so they can record as much information as possible to use in negotiations. Understand that if the accident was not your fault that you have the position of power here. Any lawyer worth their wage will understand this and tirelessly fight your corner.

Ultimately, there are many factors that you need to consider when understanding how to navigate a car accident. Knowing that a lawyer will be much-needed support in these discussions with your car insurance company can help you get the claim you deserve. Collect as much information as possible to support your case and do not give up. Great lawyers will not give up on you so do your best.