As the number of motorcycles on St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois roads increases, so does the potential for deadly encounters between motorcycles and cars. Many different types of careless or negligent behavior on the part of other motorists can lead to injury or death for the motorcyclist.
Motorcycle accidents can quickly go from injuries to wrongful death cases, like the 2010 case of Missouri man. He accidentally crashed his motorcycle into a city bus, and died as the result. His family brought a wrongful death suit against the city. The case was recently settled for $1.4 million by the city of Columbia.
On July 12, 2010, he was driving his motorcycle early in the morning, and died when he crashed into a city bus that was making a left-hand turn. The driver of the bus said that as he was making the turn, he did not even see the man until he heard the screeching and crashing sounds of the accident. He maintains that he stopped at the stop sign before making the turn. B
y the time the driver heard the accident, the man had already been fatally injured. He swerved to avoid colliding with the city bus, but failed to get out of the way in time.
The victim's family brought the wrongful death case against the bus driver, alleging that he was careless, was not paying close enough attention to the road, and failed to prevent the accident by taking necessary steps in being more cautious.
The driver was convicted of careless and imprudent driving, and he is now on two years of unsupervised probation, after serving a six month suspended sentence. The accident was deemed preventable by Columbia's Transit Safety Committee, but the driver's conduct was determined to not be criminally negligent by the Boone County Assistant Prosecutor. The prosecutor will therefore not charge the driver with involuntary manslaughter.
The $1.4 million settlement has been allocated to the victims wife and three minor children, and his parents. A trust has been set up for the children.
Injuries that result from motorcycle accidents can be severe and debilitating because of the lack of protection that motorcycles provide for the rider. Motorcyclists should practice safety precautions and be especially careful when driving in the presence of large vehicles that will most likely have significant blind spots. Always wearing a helmet, even when it is not mandated, is one of the best ways to stay safe while riding a motorcycle.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident that is the result of another driver's negligence, contact a motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney understands how motorcycle accident cases differ from car accidents and the tactics that the opposing counsel will use to make it appear that you are taking risks simply by driving a motorcycle. And if your loved one's case tragically becomes a wrongful death case, the importance of seeking justice for surviving family members is even more important. When families suffer such a tragic loss, the damages that result from a successful settlement or verdict can make financial struggles that result from the loss a bit easier.
